Fairy Tale Gone Bad
by KissPookie28
Summary: Brooke and Lucas couldn't be happier about the impending birth of their child, but when Brooke loses the baby they fall apart. Do people who are meant to be together always find their way in the end or is that just a dreamer's wish? Brookecentric.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Lucas and Brooke couldn't be happier. Though their parents had not taken the news of the pregnancy well at first, Karen was at least being supportive now. Brooke's parents, in traditional Davis fashion, had left town at the first sign of trouble. They were now somewhere in Paris sending only the occasional email to their one and only pregnant daughter.

Lucas and Brooke were sitting in Brooke's living room looking over a book of names. "How about Lorelai if it's a girl and Damien if it's a boy," Brooke suggested.

"First of all I'm not naming my son after Satan's child and secondly I'm not naming my daughter after a woman who had a kid at sixteen. It might give her ideas."

"What if I said we were naming her after the daughter?"

"I'd still say no."

"Mean!" Brooke crossed her arms and pouted a bit.

"What about Penelope if it's a girl?" Brooke snorted.

"There's no way I'm cursing another generation with that name."

"I think Penelope's a beautiful name. And if she looks anything like her mother she'll be beautiful."

"You think so?" Brooke asked in a low voice as she leaned towards him.

"Uh huh." He closed the gap between them and they engaged in a heated make-out session for a bit until Brooke pulled back, her hands clasped over her stomach. "What's wrong?" Lucas asked, his face plastered with concern. Brooke merely winced in response. "Come on let's get in the car. I'm taking you to the hospital." With ease, Lucas lifted Brooke off the couch bridal style and carried her to the car. The whole ride to the hospital was silent with intermittent gasps of pain from Brooke. Lucas held her hand, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

They pulled up in front of the hospital and almost immediately Lucas was opening the door for Brooke and helping her out. She stood, but instantly bent over a bit due to the pain, clutching her stomach. Lucas led a hobbling Brooke through the emergency room doors. "I need help!" A small nurse walked up to him.

"Fill these out." She shoved some forms at him.

"You don't understand!" Another gasp of pain from Brooke. Lucas glanced at her for a second before turning back to the nurse. "She's in pain."

"Look around, everyone here's in pain. Now why don't you and your pretty little girlfriend go sit down in the corner and fill out these forms."

A small voice prevented Lucas from responding. "Lucas it hurts." These were the first words Brooke had spoken since the pain began. Lucas turned to her, taking her face in his hands.

"I know Pretty Girl. But it's going to get better I promise." He scooped her up, threw one last dirty look in the nurse's direction and then pushed his way into the hospital.

"You can't go back there!" the nurse called as she followed him through the doors. Lucas was about to turn around and give her a very colorful response but was cut off by a doctor.

"Excuse me young man, what's the problem here?" The doctor blocked Lucas's path.

"My pregnant girlfriend is in pain and this nurse won't do a thing about it except tell me to fill out these forms."

"How far along is she?" The doctor asked.

"About three months." Brooke whimpered a bit in pain. The doctor took one look at the pitiful pregnant teen and her dedicated boyfriend and took matters into his own hands.

"You can fill those forms out later. Let's get her checked out." Lucas followed the doctor, leaving the disgruntled nurse behind.

Lucas tucked a stray hair behind Brooke's ear. She smiled up at him. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"How's the baby?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know the doctor told me he'd be back in to talk to both of us." At just that moment the door opened to reveal Brooke's savior, the doctor who was willing to go against the rules to save Brooke and her baby.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Brooke.

"How's my baby?" she demanded. The doctor's face twisted up a bit.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but you lost the baby." Without a word, Brooke turned to Lucas and he wrapped his arms around her allowing her to soak his shirt with her tears. In an attempt to be strong for her, Lucas choked back his own.

Brooke pulled the covers up a bit more. She gently stroked the picture in her hand. A picture that was taken while her baby was still in the womb, the only picture she would ever have of her child. The tears that had plagued her since she was told that she was never going to get to hold her child welled up in her eyes. It seemed that that was all Brooke had done lately, cry. When she first lost the baby, she didn't leave her bed. She just sat and cried. Two weeks later she returned to school. But school didn't bring her the excitement it usually did. She turned from social butterfly to recluse, pushing everyone close to her away including Lucas. She quit cheerleading and her already horrible grades dropped to abysmal levels. Though she hadn't moved much, she had lost weight due to her inability to keep food down. At the lowest point, Brooke had even considered opting out, killing herself. But then she thought of Lucas. That boy who would do anything for her. He would blame himself and Brooke just couldn't do that to him. A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey Pretty Girl."

"Hey." Lucas walked to her bed and sat down beside her. He noticed the picture in her hand. Without a word, he took it looking down at it for a bit and then put in the drawer of her nightstand.

"You've got to get out of bed."

"I can't." Lucas touched her chin, pulling her face up to look at it. Her eyes were ringed red and had dark circles under them. The bones in her face were more pronounced. It was clear that she had been taking this badly.

"Brooke I lost my child, I can't lose you too."

"You haven't, I'm still here." Lucas took her hand.

"You may be here physically, but you've changed." Brooke scoffed and she pulled her hand away from Lucas.

"Of course I've changed. I lost my child damn it!" She rolled over and got out of the bed.

"Well so did I! But I didn't let it destroy me. I'm still living, instead of being holed up in my house. What are you hiding from Brooke?" Brooke turned away so that he wouldn't see her cry, so that he wouldn't know that she knew he was right about her attempting to hide.

"I just can't do this," she whispered. She could feel his presence as he moved to stand behind her. His arms wrapped around her, spinning her to face him.

"I'm here for you. We'll get through this together. And the first step is to get you out of this house."

"Lucas I don't think…" but Lucas stopped her.

"Brooke I'm not leaving unless you go with me. So you can either walk out of

here of your own accord, or I can force you. It's as simple as that." He smiled at her, and then kissed her gently. "I love you Pretty Girl." Brooke knew he was waiting for her to respond, but she couldn't. She couldn't let herself open up to him again. Because she knew that as soon as things started going right something terrible would happen and she would be back to square one. It seemed Lucas gave up. "I'll see you downstairs in a little bit." And then he was gone. Brooke let the tears flow freely now. What was wrong with her? She loved Lucas more than anyone could possibly know, but right now she was pushing him away. She hated that he could move on so quickly. They were going to have a baby for goodness sake. And it had taken him all of a couple weeks before he was back to his old life. Brooke knew that she could never go back. This baby had scarred her permanently. She sunk down to the floor, clutching her stomach and taking comfort in the fact that she had sunk so low that the only way things could go was up.

The first time Brooke left the house of her own accord for something other than school was James's funeral. She sat through the whole service, watching Haley cry. And she saw in Haley what she wished she didn't. She saw herself. She saw how no matter how many times Nathan touched the small blonde she would gently pull away. Brooke couldn't let another repeat her mistake, so she warned Haley not to do the damage in her relationship that Brooke had already done in her own. Though she and Lucas were still technically together, she couldn't remember the last time she had actually kissed him back when he kissed her.

That night was the first time that Brooke ever prayed. She prayed for Haley and Nathan to start with, praying that they would get through it though she knew they would. They were strong. Then she prayed for Peyton and Jake. Peyton had tried to be there for Brooke but she only made things worse. Every time she was in the room Brooke could almost smell baby on her. Peyton had Jenny and as much as Brooke hated herself for it, she couldn't stand that. So she and Peyton had not spoken in a while, but Brooke still prayed that her best friend was doing well. Last but not least she prayed for Lucas to find someone new, hoping against hope that God wouldn't do what she was asking him to.

The first time Brooke was actually faced with a real live baby was shortly after the funeral. Despite Lucas's pleading Haley had brought little Brooklyn over to see Brooke. Brooke sobbed when the baby was placed in her arms. And when she was told that the baby was named after her because Haley thought that Brooke was a strong role model, the tears flowed even more (if that was humanly possible). Brooke was no role model. But she vowed to herself that from then on she would try harder, if not for herself then for little Brooklyn. And try she had. She had thrown herself into her school work and brought her grades up to even higher levels than they had been at before the baby. She called up a shocked Peyton to hang out. Brooke tried to prove to Haley that life did go on after losing a child, even though Brooke herself did not believe that. And after a bit things seemed to be getting back to normal, most weekends Brooke was out of the house. But though she was smiling on the outside, she was dead on the inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Haley sat down to a chorus of applause. Her valedictorian speech had gone well. In the second row, Brooke sat with her usual fake smile spread across her lips. Then she watched, without much enthusiasm, as her classmates proceeded across the stage. Her own name was called. With a clack of high heel on lacquered wood, Brooke walked up to the woman handing out the diploma holders and then over to Principal Turner. Her body kept up the façade of happiness. Once you fake something for extended periods of time the body takes over and the actions become involuntary. As she flipped her pointless tassel to the other side of her hat, Brooke looked out at the sea of faces. Nathan, Lucas, and Peyton sat in the midst of the mass of blue polyester, smiling up at her. A few rows back, Deb bounced a happy Brooklyn up and down on her knee. Karen sat beside her clasping Keith's hand over her own protruding stomach. Brooke's own parents couldn't be bothered enough to be at this event in their only daughter's life, just as they had not been there for her when she lost her child. Brooke's hand reached for her stomach, but instead of the comfort of a live being squirming around inside, she felt a void. She smiled once to the camera that Larry held. Brooke was sure Peyton had told him to take lots of pictures to guilt trip the Davis elders with later. Then, as another name, was called Brooke slumped back into her seat.

Finally she could breathe. The moment they were allowed to, Brooke had pulled off the stifling layer of fabric. She then fled from the confines of the classroom where she would be forced to smile and give people false "have a good lifes". With a sigh, Brooke realized that her plan to be falsely elated had worked all to well. People didn't seem to notice a change in Brooke so they were careless with their words around her. Throwing around things like "baby" and "pregnant" sometimes as the butt of jokes. Words that to them meant nothing, but to Brooke were like knives.

"Hey Brooke." Brooke winced a bit before turning. Haley stood before her, a smile plastered across her face. Peyton was standing beside her, equally happy. And then Brooke saw something that made her heart break in two. Haley balanced a small Brooklyn on her hip. Peyton clasped the small hand of Jenny. Brooke closed her eyes, trying to force the tears back in. She wasn't much of a role model for little Brooklyn. Hell she couldn't even be within five feet of Brooklyn for extended periods of time without the waterworks turning on. And Brooke hated herself for this.

"Hey guys," Brooke said. Was that a crack in her voice? She tried to play it off.

"Can you believe we're finally graduated?" Haley asked, bubbling over with excitement. As she shook her head no, Brooke took a good look at Haley. What did she have that Brooke didn't? How could she move past losing a child while it ate at Brooke every day? Then Brooke looked at the child in Haley's arms. The child with her namesake. That's how Haley did it, she had a replacement child. Brooke could never replace her child and it seemed heartless that Haley could do that. Brooke smacked herself internally. Haley was a good mother, she hadn't replaced James she had just given a child who needed a family a family. And then Brooke realized that Haley was a better woman than she would ever be. While Haley too had lost a child, she had found it in her heart to open up to love again. Even to another child. Brooke had done the opposite, closing her heart off to everyone. She glanced across the courtyard where her boyfriend stood. Lucas deserved more.

"Brooke?" Brooke was pulled back to the two mothers in front of her. It seemed that they had asked her a question and were now waiting for a response.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Graduation bliss you know?" She smiled. The two seemed to buy it as the concerned looks faded from their faces. "What were you saying?"

"I just wanted to know if you were going to that huge graduation party at Bevin's later?" Peyton asked. Brooke looked at the blonde. Peyton had always been there for Brooke, even when Brooke didn't want her to be. Peyton was the one that never gave up on their friendship, even when Brooke had thought it was impossible to repair. Almost daily, Peyton had called to check up on Brooke. She had yelled at Brooke, tried to force her to get over it. Most would call it cruel, but that's the way that Peyton functioned. It was tough love from her. And that was what Brooke needed. Though she would never admit it, Peyton had been a major factor in Brooke getting back out in the world. Yet she never let Peyton in. And Peyton knew why, there was a drawing hanging in her room that stated why. A red light with a simple phrase on the bottom. 'People always leave.'

"Sorry guys, I don't think so. I've got a lot of packing to do." Brooke had everyone convinced that she was going out to LA to go to college when in reality she was going there to get away. Because it was on the opposite coast, far away from her past.

"Do you need any help," Haley asked as she switched Brooklyn to the other hip. Brooke shook her head.

"I've got to start learning to do things on my own." The concerned look reappeared on the two women's faces. "You know, since you all are staying on this side of the US," Brooke clarified. Haley and Peyton looked like they didn't quite believe her, but they let it go. "Well don't move. I've got something to give to you. Peyton do you think you could help me?" Peyton nodded.

"Jenny sweetie, stay here with auntie Brooke ok?" Peyton smiled at the child who nodded. She planted a kiss on the small child's blonde head.

"Could you hold her for me?' Haley asked, holding Brooklyn out to Brooke. Though her mind screamed at her that it would destroy her if she took the child, Brooke's motherly instincts took over and she reached her arms out to take the baby. Brooklyn's brown eyes gleamed up at Brooke as Brooke pulled her towards her, cradling her in her arms. She rocked Brooklyn back and forth gently.

"Hi sweetheart," she cooed. She sat down on the cold pavement. Soon a warm body pressed itself into her side. She looked down to see Jenny smiling her toothy grin. Brooke shifted Brooklyn to one arm and put the other around Jenny. Her stomach churned. This is what it would have felt if her baby had lived. First she would have held the baby as she was holding Brooklyn. Then she would have a child like Jenny. Brooke closed her eyes and wished for a moment that these two little girls were her own.

"Brooke?" Reluctantly, Brooke opened her eyes.

"Mommy!" Jenny squealed and ran into Peyton's legs. Brooke's wish was shattered. These two little girls had mothers. Her two best friends.

Haley gently took Brooklyn into her arms and then spoke. "We couldn't let you go off to LA without anything from us, so here." Packages were shoved into Brooke's arms.

"Guys you shouldn't have. I mean I didn't get you anything." Peyton held up a hand.

"Just promise us that when you make yourself famous you'll remember us little people." Brooke smiled and then ripped open the presents. One was a box filled with various fabrics. It was so filled that she could barely lift it. The other was a ribbon board on which Peyton had painted 'Inspiration' across the top. Blinking back the tears, Brooke looked at the picture that had been placed in the center. Six faces smiled up at her. Peyton grinned from the left side of the picture. Jake's arm was snaked around her waist. In the same pose, Nathan and Haley were standing on the right side of the picture. There in the middle was Lucas and on his back was Brooke. Her own face was contorted into an expression of pure joy that Brooke didn't recognize. This picture was taken before the pregnancy.

"Thank you," Brooke croaked past her tears.

"Your designs are amazing. We know you're going to be a hotshot fashion designer someday and we thought we could help you get started," Haley informed her.

"You were always telling us that the designs were inspired, so we figured you could use someplace to put things that inspire you," Peyton explained the board. Brooke looked up at her two best friends. She didn't deserve them. All she had done was push them away and yet here they were. Acting as if nothing had changed between them. As if she was still the warm hearted person she had been before the baby. Brooke stood up and wrapped her arms around Peyton and then Haley, careful not to squish the baby in her arms. And then in a move that not even Brooke saw coming, she kissed Brooklyn's forehead and then her tiny fist. Then she bent down and wrapped her arms around Jenny.

"Get Lucas to help you with that box," a stunned Haley spoke. "It's heavy."

"You rang," Lucas smiled.

"Take this box to the car for her," Peyton told him.

"Are you going home already?" Lucas looked to Brooke. She nodded.

"Packing to do." With a shrug, Lucas bent down and picked up the box. Brooke tucked the ribbon board under her arm, but before following Lucas to the car, she turned to her entire female support system. She didn't know when she would ever see the four of them again. "Love you guys."

"We all love you too," Haley spoke in a cracking voice. The three elder females had tears in their eyes.

"You two take care of them," Brooke called to the group.

"We will," Peyton assured her.

"I was talking to Brooklyn and Jenny." With one last group hug and tears all around, Brooke walked to her car. Lucas had already miraculously fit the box in her tiny trunk. Brooke slid the board into her back seat. Lucas reached for the handle of the passenger door, but Brooke stopped him. "I think you should stay here."

"No. You leave in the morning. I want to spend our last day together, well together. I can watch you pack." Lucas wrapped his arms around her. Brooke allowed herself a moment of ecstasy before pulling away.

"I can't do this."

"What?" Lucas looked confused.

"You deserve better than me," Brooke told him.

"That's not possible. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He reached out to grab her hand. Why was he making this so hard?

Brooke pulled back. "No I'm not! I mean you've spent these past few months in love with someone who can't love you back!"

"You mean you don't love me?" Lucas looked as if she had just slapped him. Brooke inhaled deeply.

And though she didn't mean them, she then spoke the words that she knew would make him let her go. "No Lucas, I don't love you."

"Oh."

"Lucas, I'm sorry."

"Save it. I gave you my heart. For some reason I thought I had yours. But I guess I was wrong. Have a good life Brooke Davis." And then Lucas turned his back on her and walked out of her life. Brooke's heart was screaming at her to tell him that he was wrong. That she loved him more than she could explain, but her head told her to just let him go. And so Brooke watched the best thing that had ever happened to her walk away from her forever.

Brooke pulled the strap of her bag a bit higher up on her shoulder. Her ticket in hand, she was standing at the gate to her plane. No one had come to see her off. Brooke had made sure of that. She had successfully pushed everyone she cared about out of her life. She handed her ticket to the man at the gate. Before walking down that long hall to face her destiny, she took a last look at the airport. And then she turned around, walking on, leaving her old life and everyone in it behind. She was getting a new life, one she hoped was better than this one.


	3. Author's Note to Clear Things Up

**There seems to be some confusion about my story, so I'm writing this in an attempt to clear things up. **

**This story is based off of my other story, Like Night and Day. To understand the full back story you'll have to read it because I'm evil like that but here's a brief synopsis. Haley has a twin and that twin comes back and tries to steal Nathan. She gets him drunk and he sleeps with her. She and Haley both get pregnant, both Nathan's. At this time Brooke is also pregnant. Brooke loses her baby, Haley and her sister both give birth. Then out of rage, Haley's twin kills Haley's baby. She goes to jail leaving her kid with no mom. Nathan and Haley take the baby in naming her Brooklyn (because she needed a strong female role model).**

**Side notes- Keith is alive, I refuse to let him die. Jake comes back in my other story, so he's present in this story as well.**


	4. Chapter 3

The timid assistant walked into her boss's office

The timid assistant walked into her boss's office. It was a war zone. Fabric samples lay strewn across the mahogany desk.Designs had been ripped up and tossed carelessly in the direction of the trash, none of them making it. The assistant looked around for a bit, but saw no sign of human life. "Umm M..Ms Davis?" she called.

"Under here," came the muffled reply. The assistant walked to the desk and looked down. There, curled into the two by three foot space, sat all five foot six of her boss.

"What are you doing down here?" the assistant asked. Brooke got angry at that, she stood up quickly, almost hitting her head on the underside of the desk.

"I was trying to hide from the fact that I am a total failure."

"That's not…"

"Look at this!" One design that had survived the mass headed for the trash was snatched up from the desk.

The assistant looked at the design that was shoved in her face. "Well it's nice…"

"Nice? Crap is more like it." And then the design was crumpled into a ball and thrown to join its friends on the floor. "So if I want my fashion line to be called Crap over Bros we're in good shape." Brooke threw tantrums like this regularly but that didn't make the assistant any less scared of them. She never knew what to say that would soothe the savage beast that was Brooke when she was in a rut.

"What is your fat ass complaining about now?" a voice asked from the doorway. Brooke looked up to see Rachel Gattina stroll in, red hair swinging behind her.

"How these clothes are so crappy that not even skanky bitches like you would wear them." Brooke took a few steps toward Rachel, arms crossed. The two girls stared daggers at each other. At the same moment, the two girls broke into smiles. Brooke rushed to Rachel and threw her arms around her. "I thought you said you'd be here an hour ago."

When Brooke had moved out to LA five years ago, she immediately hit the pavement in an attempt to get her designs out there. And she had. A mere six months later, 'Clothes Over Bros' was a successful clothing line selling out in stores across the LA area. But Brooke wanted more, so she threw herself into her work even harder. It wasn't like she had anything else to deal with. No boyfriend, no friends, no family. But the hard work paid off, Brooke Davis became a household name and designer to the stars. She had a successful fashion magazine and her fashion shows always sold out. It was while she was picking models for one of these shows that she came across Rachel. Rachel had moved out to LA in an attempt to become a model. Brooke was hesitant to allow Rachel to work for her, but her shots were fabulous and Brooke knew that she would be an excellent commodity. So Rachel began to work for Brooke. At the beginning they constantly bickered as they had in high school, but as they spent more time with each other they learned that there was more than meets the eye. And though they still occasionally reverted to their high school, name calling around each other the two had become close friends.

"You know I've got a job. I can't constantly come down here when you have one of these fits," Rachel scolded Brooke as she pulled back.

"Oh come on are you telling me that you can't ditch a photo shoot for _my_ magazine to come see _me_?"

"Good point. So what is it that you need?"

"I need you to take me out for coffee. I can't sit here and design another piece of crap." Brooke put her hand to her head in frustration. Rachel bent to pick up the nearest crumpled design.

"You're right. This is crap. We need to get you that coffee ASAP before you lose your job." Brooke smiled.

"Aww you really care about me, you softie."

"Not really. The way I see it, you lose your job and I lose my highest paying gig." Brooke smacked Rachel's arm. "Come on oh sucky designer." Rachel put an arm around Brooke's shoulders and the two girls walked out of the office.

"So I was thinking I'd lower the hem a little bit in the back. And then I'd tighten up the top." Brooke's pencil scratched frantically on the napkin. Rachel's eyes rolled.

"I thought you said you needed a break from designing crap."

"Hey, this is not crap," Brooke defended her newest creation. Rachel looked down at the napkin.

"I'll admit, even skanky bitches like me would wear it." The two girls laughed. "But why are you designing? Shouldn't you be enjoying your time with me?"

"I can't control when these things come to me and I've got to get it out on paper, otherwise I'll forget." Some more scratches of the pencil.

"But you haven't seen me in over a week and I've got news." Brooke tore her eyes from her napkin and looked to her friend. Rachel took a sip of her coffee casually.

"Fine, I'm putting the pencil down." Brooke set the pencil down and picked up her coffee, leaning back in her chair. "So what's your news?"

"I met a guy."

"Sorry Rach, that's not really news for you. Unless you mean daily news."

"No no he's different."

"Isn't that what you said about the last guy, and the guy before that? And the guy before that. And the guy before that," Brooke started ticking guys off on her fingers.

"Ok maybe I said that about those couple of guys."

"Couple?"

"Ok few. But I'm serious about this one. After I slept with him…"

"Rach! I thought we made a pact that we would go on at least two dates with a guy before we slept with him."

"Ok A, that pact is so unfair because you don't date and therefore don't have to follow it."

"Well I don't date because…" Rachel held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm not judging, just pointing out a fact. And B, I did go on two dates with him." Brooke raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Rachel smiled as she cracked. "If you count the movie and the dinner as two separate dates."

"Once a slut always a slut," Brooke said as she sipped her coffee.

"Look who's talking." Brooke rolled her eyes and then jumped as her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Hello? Gloria slow down… What?.. No I already picked out the cover picture for the December issue… The one where she's wearing the low cut black dress… No. That girl is not going on the cover of _my _magazine… Because she looks like all she wants for Christmas is a sandwich…I'll be there in fifteen minutes." The phone closed with a snap. "Sorry to cut this slut fest short, but duty calls." Brooke slipped her arms into her coat, picked up her coffee, and began to walk off.

"Tell David I said hey," Rachel called after her. Without turning around, Brooke gave a wave.

Brooke put her key into the door. She really didn't need this big house, but when you had as much money as she did, you had to do something with it. She almost didn't buy the house because the realtor had told her that it would be perfect for kids. Brooke sighed as she kicked off her shoes. It had been a while since she had thought about children. She tried to avoid the subject as much as possible. Her office had been given a list of words, courtesy of Rachel, to not say in her presence. Among them 'baby', 'daughter', and 'son'. It was just a month ago that Brooke had finally been able to ask her secretary about her daughter and not tear up.

The soft padding of footsteps broke up Brooke's thoughts. David, she thought with a smile. David had come into her life about two years ago and they had been inseparable ever since. He was the first one that she had opened her heart up to since she had lost the baby. He could always put a smile on her face. Just one look from his deep brown eyes and Brooke melted. Whenever Brooke came home from a tough day at the office, he was always there to make her day better. She spent many nights curled up on the couch with him watching movies.

"Hey David," Brooke greeted with a smile. A body knocked her over and she fell, sprawled on the floor. Immediately her face was covered with kisses. A giggle escaped from Brooke's lips. David had been the first one who made Brooke really laugh after she came to LA. He had been the one that helped Brooke's life start over. Brooke shoved him off of her. "Down boy." With a hurt look in her direction, David lollopped off. Brooke shook her head and then stood up, brushing herself off. She walked over to her answering machine. The light blinked up at her. With one red nail, Brooke pressed the play button. The first few messages were from various clients asking if Brooke would make them a dress for this awards show or for this interview. Brooke made a mental note to check those messages later. She didn't want to deal with work right now. The next message was from someone at work, inviting her out for drinks with the office. Brooke deleted that one immediately. The last few were from Rachel reminding her of various plans they had made. Brooke deleted these as well. It wasn't hard to remember to do things with Rachel because she was the only one that Brooke ever went out with. Brooke rubbed her eyes; she could feel a headache coming on. She strolled to her bathroom and pulled open her cabinet. After taking a couple of pills, she closed the mirrored door and caught sight of the box on her dresser. Brooke's pulse quickened. It had been a while since she had looked in this box. Could her heart be up for it?

The lid opened with a creak. Inside, stacked innocently enough lay pictures of a small little girl. Brooke's god child. Little Brooklyn Elizabeth Scott. With a smile on her face, Brooke flipped through the pictures of the girl. She was about six now, but Brooke hadn't seen her since she was a baby. Underneath the stack of those pictures were a few of Brooke's other god daughter, Jenny. In an attempt to pull Brooke out of her depression her two best friends had had a joint christening of their daughters, making Brooke the sole god parent of the two. But Brooke wanted her own child. This brought Brooke to the next picture. The picture of her baby in which, if you didn't know what it was, you might think it was something other than a human. Brooke began to sniffle. She put the picture aside and pulled out the next stack. Rubberbanded together were her memories of her life in Tree Hill. Pictures of her and her two best friends. And the ones that hurt even more, the ones of her and Lucas. Brooke couldn't do this. She thought she was strong enough, but she wasn't. Before the tears could land on the pictures, Brooke had shoved them back in the box and the box was placed back in its place on her dresser. Where it could taunt her forever. Without even changing, Brooke flopped onto her bed. David was already there. Brooke wrapped her arms around him. "I love you," she whispered. The Rottweiler gave a wag of his tail as if to say 'I love you too'. "Goodnight boy." And then human and pet fell asleep in the comfort of each other's presence.


	5. Chapter 4

Out on the runway the stick thin models swayed and stomped down the runway to the music to applause. The crowd was loving the new 'Clothes over Bros' designs. Unfortunately, the designer was not among the crowd to relish in the praise. Instead Brooke was back stage, pins in mouth, trying to fix her model's gown.

"You looked stressed," Rachel said with a smile. Brooke glared up at her. She jabbed the pins into the dress to an 'ouch' from the model.

"Suck it up," Brooke scolded the model. "Do I look stressed?" This time she was talking to Rachel. "I wonder why, hmm." Brooke tapped her chin in false puzzlement. "Well let's see. It seems that everything that could go wrong has. Four of my designs showed up torn or destroyed in some way, you know buttons missing, zippers stuck, etc. And two of my seamstresses that I hired to help in the case of such faux pas are sick. Three of my models have been hospitalized, thanks to the persuasion of a certain soon to be _fired_ employee of mine who convinced me to use the emaciated girls who it turns out…and this is a real shocker..." Brooke's voice dripped with sarcasm. "have eating disorders." Playing along, Rachel dropped her jaw to fake surprise. "So now, I'm playing designer, seamstress, whatever the title is of the person that makes sure all of the models' looks are together…" Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but Brooke put her hand over it. "Save it, I don't care. Let me rant. Where was I? Oh yeah, and if I can't get a model here in like two seconds, I'm going to have to do that job as well. And oh my gosh."

"What?" Confused, Rachel looked around the chaotic backstage.

"You." Brooke pointed a finger at Rachel.

"Me what?"

"You're a model."

"Brooke I…"

"Oh come on Rachel, I don't ask you for much, the least you could do is bail me out this once." In an attempt to look pitiful, Brooke stuck out her lower lip.

"Ok," Rachel said as she threw her hands up in defeat. "But I should tell you…

"I don't care, just get over to that rack of dresses and tell whoever's over there that you'll be filling in for model number three. I think the two of you are about the same size. And did I mention I love you?" Without another word, Brooke flitted of to perform whatever task needed to be done.

"Maybe not after tonight," Rachel mumbled to herself.

Finally Brooke's assistant had pulled through and got another seamstress to fill in for the sick and Brooke could finally leave the war zone that was backstage. She slid contentedly into her seat in the front row and sat back to watch her fashion show. Brooke loved to sit in the crowd during her shows. To see the looks on people's faces as each girl strutted out in Brooke's clothing. Clothes that came from Brooke's own imagination. People did seem to enjoy her clothing. Brooke smiled to herself. A blonde model stomped by Brooke's seat while Brooke rolled her eyes. Every girl thought she was Tyra Banks. Lucky for Brooke, she had Rachel. Despite her tendency to be a bit bitchy, Rachel was a damn good model. Speaking of, at that moment Rachel made her entrance. But instead of her usual poised walk down the runway, Rachel stumbled a bit as she took her first steps. A couple more steps and Rachel's ankle twisted in its terribly high heel. Gasps emitted from the audience. Whispers and laughs followed. Jaw planted on the ground, Brooke watched the fiasco that was Rachel's trip down and back up the runway. With a last smile, Rachel was headed to backstage. Brooke thought she knew what was up. The next outfit that Rachel paraded out in, she tripped over the train and giggled the whole way down the runway. After she had left, Brooke turned to her assistant who was seated beside her.

"Gina is she…"

"I think so," Gina responded with an anxious look to where Rachel had just been. Brooke's head sank into her hands. How did she not smell the alcohol on Rachel's breath when they had talked? How had she not seen that Rachel could barely walk in a straight line in jeans, much less down a runway in a dress with a three foot train? But Brooke had been too busy trying to keep her show from going down the drain that she had allowed a drunken idiot to walk in her designs.

By the end of the show, Brooke had sunk so low into her seat that from the row behind her one couldn't even see the top of her head. Rachel had succeeded, in the six outfits she had modeled, to rip three, trip over two, and fall flat on her face in one. When the models came out for the finale, clapping and smiling, Rachel was bent over in a fit of giggles. An ashamed Brooke made her way onto the stage to join them. Brooke tried her best to smile and act as if nothing was wrong as photographers snapped her picture. Casually, she walked up to Rachel.

"How many drinks did you have before you came here?" Brooke hissed through clenched teeth.

"Two," Rachel said with a smile.

"Plus?" Brooke knew Rachel too well for her little games.

"A few, but I tried to tell you so don't give me any of your crap."

"Why is that one photographer winking at you?" Brooke asked as she noted a particularly rat like man in the front row winking to her friend.

"When I made that little stumble the last time, he saw it all."

"I think everyone saw the fall hon."

"That's not what I'm talking about." Brooke cocked her head in curiosity. "Let's just say that if we were in a strip club, he would have to pay extra for what he saw." Brooke couldn't contain herself anymore, a guffaw escaped her lips. The models nearby turned to watch as the designer broke down into fits of laughter. "Are you sure I'm the one who has been drinking?" Rachel asked. Brooke shook her head as she continued to laugh and the cameras continued clicking.

The newspaper fell with a thud onto the table. There on the front page, lay Rachel sprawled across the stage. Above her the headline read 'Drunken Model Ruins Show'. "Hey at least they got my good side," Rachel said as she sipped her coffee. Brooke plopped down into the chair beside her with a shake of her head. The two girls looked out onto the busy street. Cars whizzed by as the two girls sat in silent contemplation. The breeze whirled around them.

"Is it weird that even though you ruined my show I would still hire you?"

"Ok A, I did not ruin your show. If anything I made it more exciting. And B, the reason you would hire me is because even in my drunken state, I'm still a better model than half of those skinny little bitches that were out there with me." Brooke gave a nod of agreement.

"Speaking of being a good model, don't you have a shoot this morning?" Brooke asked. Rachel glanced down at her watch.

"Shit!" Frantically, she began to gather her things. "I hate going to shoots hungover." Then she began to hurry off down the street.

"Here's a suggestion, don't drink!" Brooke yelled to her retreating back. In response, Brooke got the one finger salute. With a chuckle, Brooke threw a few crumpled bills onto the table to pay for breakfast and then stood. Brooke loved LA, the hustle and bustle of it all. She loved the way that no matter what time it was, whether it be 1Pm or 1Am there was always an equal amount of things to do. Even more she loved that she could afford a life style like she had come accustomed to. Brooke truly had the fairytale life. At that moment Brooke passed a couple strolling down the street holding hands and giving each other sappy looks. Ok so maybe she didn't have someone to walk down the street with but she had everything else. Before she had even finished her thought, Brooke saw a woman jogging towards her in a hideous track suit. In front of her, she pushed a stroller out of which poked a mane of dark hair. Brooke looked to the sky as if to ask 'Really'. Deciding that it was time for some serious shopping, Brooke ducked into the nearest store.

Three hours later, and Brooke was still going. By now she had already hit up her typical clothing stores and she was ready for something different. She stepped down a street that she didn't normally go down. Across the road sat a small unassuming book store. Ever since a certain someone had come into her life, Brooke had a small aversion for books. It couldn't hurt to look. So, after looking for oncoming cars, Brooke crossed the street and stepped into the bookstore.

The bell jingled as Brooke entered the shop. The woman behind the counter looked up with a smile. Brooke smiled back and then looked around. It looked like any other bookstore one might come across. A clearance section stood out front, a big red sign reading 'Books up to 75 off' next to it. To her left, Brooke saw a sign reading nonfiction. To her right, fiction. And dead ahead were the new releases. Brooke headed straight for them, her typical routine in bookstores. It was a habit she had picked up when she lost contact with her friends from Tree Hill. Brooke scanned the authors of books. Alphabetical order. Good. That would make this easier for her. She skipped the first half of the alphabet. Moved down to P. The books stopped there. Puzzled for a moment, Brooke walked around to the back of the shelf where the alphabet resumed. R's and then what she was looking for. The S's. She wasn't really expecting anything. There was never anything there, but she always told herself that there was a possibility. And a possibility was enough for Brooke. Brooke's fingers traced the books by authors with the last names starting with S-A, her fingers stopped. There was an S-C. An S-C-O-T-T to be exact. And to be even more precise, a Lucas Scott. Gingerly, Brooke slid the book out from its place on the shelf. 'an unkindness of ravens' read the front cover. Brooke opened the book and gasped; there on the back book flap was a picture of her very own Lucas smiling up at her. Sure she had the pictures of him from before, but this was different. This was proof that Brooke hadn't destroyed him. That he had gone on living his life and, by the looks of it, done a pretty good job. Brooke gently touched the curve of his jaw. She closed her eyes, remembering what it felt like to touch the real thing.

"Can I help you?" a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh no." Embarrassed, Brooke shoved the book back onto the shelf in what she was sure wasn't the right place. "Just browsing." The store employee gave her a look. Brooke smiled in what she hoped wasn't a crazy way. "Thanks." She began to back away from the man when she collided into something. Brooke whirled around and fell. Sign and person crashed to the floor. Heads turned to see what the commotion was about. Quickly, Brooke stood up, dusting herself off. "Sorry." She picked up the sign, an announcement that a best selling author would be signing books at the bookstore. Setting the sign back in its place, a flustered Brooke hurried out of the store without a look back.


	6. Chapter 5

"Call Cynthia and tell her that I need her to send me some more of that geometric patterned fabric," Brooke rattled off to Gina. Eager as always, Gina bobbed her head as she scribbled in her note pad. Brooke was walking around her office, overseeing things as Gina trailed behind her noting everything that Brooke thought needed to be done. "And…" but before Brooke got a chance to finish her next demand, her cell phone rang. "Hello?" Brooke answered.

"Put your dancing shoes on," the voice on the other end instructed.

"Rachel why would I put my dancing shoes on?"

"Because we're going out to dinner."

"What? I've got work to do."

"Brooke it is seven pm on a Saturday night. We are two young and gorgeous girls, we need to be out there." At her friend's antics, Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Rachel, I'm not out to bag a man."

"But I am! And I need a wing woman."

"Hasn't it been scientifically proven that guys are more likely to hit on girls that are alone than girls who are with their friends?" A pen was shoved in Brooke's face. She shifted the phone to her other hand and scribbled her signature on the order form, smiling at the woman who handed it to her.

"Oh my gosh, will you just come out with me, your only friend that you haven't left in a crappy small town to rot." This caught Brooke's attention.

"Ouch, harsh much?"

"Sorry."

"Why would you bring Tree Hill up?" Rachel had been the first of Brooke's high school friends to leave Tree Hill and had never looked back. There had been some discussion of life back in the tiny town when the two first reunited, but after that it was considered a taboo topic.

"No reason. I guess it's just been on my mind lately."

"What?"

"I found my old high school year book. Now are you coming out with me or not?" There was something in Rachel's tone that made Brooke not totally believe her word, but she had a point. Brooke couldn't really afford to lose another friend. So with a grimace Brooke made plans to meet Rachel at the restaurant on the corner in an hour.

"Aren't you glad you came out with me?" Rachel said as drinks were set down in front of the girls.

"Oh we didn't order this," Brooke tried to correct the waiter.

"I know," the waiter said in a tone that said he thought Brooke was being condescending with him. "He did." The waiter pointed to a young man sitting at the bar. He raised his glass to acknowledge the two.

"Just go with it Brooke. Loosen up." Rachel raised her glass and smiled at the man.

"Rachel I can't have strange men hitting on me."

"Why because you're a public figure?" Rachel sipped her drink.

"That and because…"

"Ok whatever, let's just say that he was hitting on me and he only bought you a drink so you wouldn't feel left out. So drink your pity drink." Rachel raised her glass. "To finally escaping the hell that is work."

"Hey I happen to like…" Rachel cut her off with a look. "To escaping work," Brooke mimicked as she raised her own glass. A clink as they touched their glasses together and the two girls took a sip. Rachel set her glass down and began to bob her head to the music, looking around. Brooke noted that she was avoiding eye contact. "So are you going to tell me what this is all about or am I going to have to guess?" Rachel finally looked Brooke in the eye.

"I told you, I'm out to bag a man." But Rachel had shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Rachel, I know you too well to believe that. You're far too independent to be out searching for a man. So what is this really about?"

"Another one please," Rachel waved down the waiter and ordered another drink.

"Rachel." Brooke began to panic. It wasn't like her abrasive friend to avoid topics, unless they were very serious.

"Ok I'm going to start out by saying that it's not really that big of a deal, this thing. I'm just….I'm just afraid of what it'll do to you. Because I care about you you crazy bitch." A stray strand of red hair fell into Rachel's eyes. Brooke reached out and touched Rachel's hand.

"I care about you too, you slutty whore." The two girls laughed. "Now what is this all about?"

"Ok you know that small little book store about five miles from your office?" Brooke nodded, wondering if Rachel knew that she had made a fool of herself in that same book store just the other day. "Well they're having a book signing tomorrow."

"You want me to go to a book signing with you?"

"Not exactly." Another shift in her seat. "It's more about the specific author that's going to be there." Rachel raised her eyes, praying that Brooke would fill in the blanks and she wouldn't have to be the one to break the news. But Brooke's brown eyes stared back at Rachel, blissfully ignorant.

"What is he an ex boyfriend of yours?"

"No." If only she knew how close she was. "Of yours." Brooke's chest tightened. It felt as if her lungs had collapsed. She only had one ex-boyfriend that was a writer. She didn't need Rachel to say anymore, but her friend filled in the blanks. "Lucas is going to be in town. He's signing books at that store tomorrow." The room began to spin. Lucas, her Lucas was going to be in the same city as her in less than twenty four hours. But he wasn't her Lucas anymore. She had made sure of that. "I just didn't want it to come as a big shock to you when you were walking down the street and happened to pass the love of your life," Rachel finished.

"The love of my life?" Brooke asked stupidly.

"Lucas."  
"He's not…" but Rachel cut her off.

"Tell yourself whatever you need to, but I'm just letting you know that he's in town. You okay?"

"Of course. Lucas and I are over. I've moved on. Why wouldn't I be fine?" Rachel shook her head at Brooke's stubbornness. "But I am kind of tired, so I'm going to head home."

"Do you need me to come with you?"

"Nah, I've got David." Rachel laughed.

"Call me tomorrow." Brooke nodded, hugged Rachel, and was about to leave when Rachel called to her. "Don't go to work tomorrow. We'll do something as far from that book store as we can get." Blinking back tears, Brooke nodded. Rachel always knew the truth, even if Brooke wasn't ready to admit it. She reminded her of a certain curly blonde.

Brooke gently closed the door of her apartment behind her. David ran to the door to greet her. He planted a wet kiss on her hand. Brooke smiled at him, but she knew that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. David gave her a look, asking her if she was all right. Without a word, Brooke walked to her bedroom, David on her heels. Brooke knew that he wanted to get into the bed with her.

"Not tonight," she told him and then shut the door in his face. As soon as the door was closed, Brooke turned her back to it, leaning herself back. Then before she knew it, she had sunk to the floor. She listened as David moved away from the door. She heard the creaks of the sofa as he settled himself into it. Brooke was ashamed of herself. All he had done was shown her love and all she had done was cut him out of her life. It reminded her of another relationship she had. A relationship that was about to come back and bite her in the ass. A wet spot formed on her shoulder as the tears began to pour from her eyes. And then Brooke let it go, sobbing as she beat her fists on the floor.

Sunlight streamed in the window, beating against the eyelids of the brunette who lay crumpled on the floor. Brooke opened one eye. It was morning. Apparently, she had literally cried herself to sleep the night before. Brooke sat up, rubbing her neck. She caught sight of herself in the mirror, wrinkled dress and raccoon eyes. With a groan, Brooke left her bedroom and went into the kitchen to get herself some cereal. As she was shoveling the Cheerios into her mouth she thought about what she needed to do at work. And then she remembered, Rachel had told her not to go to work today. Brooke's chewing slowed as she remembered why Rachel had told her not to go to work today. In a split second, Brooke made a decision that she never thought she would make. She raced to the shower before she could change her mind.

There it was, the tiny bookstore. From out here, you could hardly tell that within it lay one of Brooke's hugest demons from her past. Brooke crossed the street. A loud honk informed her that she had been too caught up in what she was about to do to look both ways walking into the road. She waved apologetically to the angry driver before stepping up onto the curb. Her heels clacked against the pavement as she approached the store. She glanced in the window. All that could be seen was a long line of people clutching the same book to their chests. With a deep inhale, Brooke pushed open the door.

Inside was chaos. People stood everywhere, excitedly talking. Brooke bumped her thigh against the table near the door. As she tried to keep the books on it from toppling she noticed the title, _an unkindness of ravens._ It was Lucas's book. Brooke's heart began to race. She was in the very same room as Lucas. She craned her neck to see around the line, but all she could see was the back of the person who was currently talking to the love of her high school years. Making a rash decision, Brooke grabbed a copy of the book off of the table and planted herself at the end of the line.

Finally Brooke was able to see him, Lucas. He looked good. Almost the same as he had in high school except that his hair was a little different. Brooke's lungs felt as if they wouldn't inflate. She was gasping for air when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"The line's moving," a disgruntled man behind her pointed out. She took a couple of steps forward. A couple of steps closer to seeing Lucas. Moments away from talking to him. Moments away from figuring out if he thought about her at all since she had left. But what if he hadn't? Would Brooke be able to handle that? Dizziness overtook her. "Oh come on miss, the line's moving again."

"G…go ahead of me," Brooke stammered. The man gave her a curious look before filling the gap between her and the person in front of her in line. After she allowed a couple more people to cut in front of her in line, Brooke realized that she wasn't ready for this. Dropping the book from her hands onto the table, Brooke exited the bookstore, heading towards her favorite bar.

What was she doing? Brooke asked herself for the thirtieth time since she had arrived at this bar. Here she was drowning herself in alcohol when she could be talking to the boy she had spent her entire high school career pining over. After she threw down a few bills, Brooke ran out of the bar and to the bookstore. It was still just as crowded. Smiling, Brooke entered the store with a jangle of bells. But the smile was wiped off her face as she caught sight of the author's signing table. Lucas was not there. She had missed her chance.


	7. Chapter 6

"Can I help you?' a woman with a bright smile walked to Brooke. For a moment, Brooke just stared at the empty author's table. "Miss?"

"The author who was here…"

"Mr. Scott?"

"Yeah Lucas," Brooke couldn't see herself ever being able to call Lucas 'Mr. Scott'. "Is he going to come back?" Brooke didn't know if she was asking this woman about Luke's presence in the book store or in her own life.

"I'm afraid not. He's gone for good." Brooke's heart dropped to her stomach. The woman continued to yammer on about how she could recommend a few good books if Brooke enjoyed _an unkindness of ravens_. She was unaware that she had just dealt Brooke the kind of verbal blow that was enough to send a person knee deep into a pint of ice cream.

"No thanks," Brooke mumbled. As soon as she was out the door of the store, she saw something she wished she didn't. A flame of red hair was barreling down the sidewalk towards her.

"Brooke Penelope Davis! You didn't. After I specifically told you not to." When Rachel was enraged she tended to lose the ability to form complete sentences. Rachel skidded to a halt beside Brooke and inhaled with a flare of her nostrils. "Now tell me why." At that moment, Brooke's head fell. She stared at the cracks on the pavement. How they formed a swirling pattern. Spiraling downward, like her life had done a few years ago. A hand grabbed her chin and forced her face upwards. "Well do you have an answer?"

"Rachel can we not?" Brooke whimpered. Though she was still frustrated, Rachel could see that Brooke was hurting.

"Come on, let's go get you liquored up." Rachel flung an arm around her sullen friend and began to take her down the sidewalk. "But this is why I told you to avoid the book store."

"Rachel I know you mean the best and that all this is just tough love but can you please save the lecture for later?"

"I think I might be able to handle that, but I just want to say that I told…" Brooke silenced her with a hand covering her mouth.

"If the next words out of your mouth are 'you so', you are so dead." She removed the hand.

"I was actually going to say that I told you we'd go get you liquored up but if you'd rather go home and be with David that was fine by me." Brooke looked at the street in front of her. Happy people walked up and down the sidewalk. The whole damn world was packed with smiling faces, so why couldn't Brooke just follow the crowd and force the corners of her mouth upwards. Deep down she knew why. Lucas. It would always be Lucas. But it shouldn't be about him anymore. It couldn't be. Brooke put her arm through Rachel's.

"I think getting liquored up is exactly what I need." And with more effort than she really thought it was worth, Brooke forced the muscles of her mouth to contort into what she hoped looked like a smile.

Brooke began to giggle. For the first time in a long time, Brooke Penelope Davis was stumbling-down-the-stairs, unable-to-walk-a-straight-line, drunk. Rachel was trying to laugh it off, Brooke could be pretty funny when she was drunk, but she knew that her friend was hurting. It wasn't like her to get wasted just to have a good time. Maybe the high school Brooke but not the responsible adult Brooke. Rachel knew that she would have to keep a close eye on Brooke. It was one thing if you got drunk every weekend, and some weekdays. You could navigate a bar pretty well. But if you hadn't gotten really drunk for five years, well the world could be a pretty overwhelming not to mention harmful place.

"I love this song," Brooke slurred as she stood up, tripped over the leg of her chair a bit, stumbled, and then recovered. "Ss a lil hard to walk," she told her friend.

"That's what gallons of tequila in your stomach will do to you."

"I'm not drunk." Rachel gave her friend a glare. "Ok maybe a lil." Brooke held her thumb and pointer finger a small distance apart. With an eye roll, Rachel pushed the fingers apart as far as they would go.

"That's closer." Brooke swatted at Rachel playfully, but missed. Her reflexes weren't what they normally were.

"I'm gonna dance." Brooke turned on her heel and left Rachel to watch her from the sidelines. Rachel ordered another shot from the bartender but before he could pour it, she stayed his hand. Once more, she looked out on Brooke. Brooke was bobbing up and down to a beat that only she could hear. Rachel grimaced and told the bartender to bring her water instead.

Brooke had been dancing for what felt like hours. After a bit of time in which she mostly tried to stay vertical, Brooke had gotten the drunken dance down to a science. Bodies pressed in on her from all sides. There was one body in particular that she was pressing back on. The boy in front of her had dark hair that fell casually over his eyes. The room was still spinning but Brooke focused all her energy on the boy in front of her. She put her hands on his shoulders. The two stopped mid dance. Their eyes locked and Brooke felt herself leaning towards him. But before their lips met, she was pulled back.

"What are you doing?" a voice demanded. Blinking a few times, Brooke finally made out the red hair that framed her friend's face.

"Rachel!" A smile formed on Brooke's lips as she reached out to the redhead. Rachel reeled back a bit as she smelled the strong odor of alcohol on Brooke's breath. "Come dance with me." She began to pull on Rachel's hands, but the boy broke in.

"I thought we were dancing together," he demanded.

"W…" Brooke started to slur, but Rachel took over.

"For your information the only reason she even gave you the time of day was because she is drunk out of her mind. And besides, nothing could happen between the two of you."

"You don't…" the boy protested.

"I do," Rachel corrected him as she swung Brooke's arm around her shoulders. "She's not available."

"You're seeing someone?" he directed to Brooke.

"I…"

"Not exactly. Look it doesn't matter I need to get her out of here, so kindly move."

"No, if she's not seeing anyone then I don't see the harm in the two of us flirting a little." He touched Brooke's cheek gently and she beamed up at him.

"Yeah Rach, what's the harm?" Brooke asked, still smiling.

"Flirting?! You call dry humping each other, flirting?"

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Jealous? Because we can make this a three way affair if you'd prefer." He gave a wink which warranted an eye roll from Rachel. Normally Rachel would jump at the chance to have sex, but tonight she had to play the role of the dependable one.

"A ménage a trois? I think not." Rachel pushed him aside as she half carried, half drug Brooke out of the bar.

"Oooh French! Let's see what I remember. Potato, potahto, no that's not right. It's something about an apple," Brooke rambled drunkenly as Rachel hailed a taxi.

Rachel was sitting with Brooke in her own bathroom as Brooke's past couple of meals made their reappearance into the toilet. Brooke stopped heaving for the time being and Rachel dutifully poured some water into her friend's mouth. Brooke gave a half-hearted smile and proceeded to pass out in Rachel's lap. Absentmindedly, Rachel began to run her hand over Brooke's hair. She watched her friend inhale and exhale deeply. Rachel had been scared tonight. Not just because she was afraid that her friend might die of alcohol poisoning, for that had only been an imminent fear when Brooke consumed what seemed to be her twentieth shot in ten minutes, but also because it scared her to see Brooke this way. Brooke was never the vulnerable one. She had built armor around herself, assuring that if any hurt was to be dealt out she would be the dealer and would receive none. Nothing got to Brooke. She took everything in stride letting it all roll off her back.

"Why did you do this Brooke? You're supposed to be the one taking care of me when I'm drunk. That's how this friendship works. God help us if I begin to be the stable one here." Rachel continued stroking Brooke's hair. "You're not supposed to be the one spouting drunken things that's supposed to be me. I'm supposed to show up on your shoots drunk out of mind complaining about how much life sucks. And then you're supposed to hold all your calls while you let me cry on your shoulder." A tear rolled from Rachel's eye. She'd learned a long time ago that you can't rely on supposed to's. She was supposed to finally graduate from a high school. Brooke was supposed to be married to Lucas right now with a happy little baby. The tears spilled a bit more.

"Pomme de terre," Brooke mumbled.

"What?"

"Earlier, I couldn't remember how to say potato in French. It's pomme de terre." Rachel laughed.

"Is that the only thing you remember from French class?" Brooke shook her head.

"Coeur brisé."

"What's that mean?" There was no response. Rachel looked down at her friend. Brooke had passed out, her face pressed into the tile. In that moment she looked so peaceful that Rachel didn't want to disturb her. She wanted to let her lie there, away from all the hurt in the world. But Rachel knew that in the morning, Brooke would chastise her for allowing the tile to imprint its octagonal shape onto one of Brooke's cheeks. So with a sigh, Rachel heaved her friend up and made a mental note that being the sober one sucks.

Fifteen minutes later with Brooke securely placed lying on her side in Rachel's bed, a trash can within arms reach, Rachel was sitting at her computer. She clicked on the 'Language Tools' button of Google. Curious, she typed in the phrase Brooke had garbled earlier. After a moment the page loaded and Rachel had her answer. Why had Brooke gotten drunk? Coeur brisé. Broken heart.


	8. Chapter 7

Brooke groaned as she rolled over in her bed. Birds chirped outside her window. Normally a happy sound, this morning it was torturous. The high pitched chirps reverberated in her head; filling it, echoing, and causing her to cringe. As Brooke rubbed her forehead, she thought back to the night before.

"Morning sleeping beauty!"

"Ugh!"

"Too loud for you?"

"Right now anything above a whisper is too loud for me."

"Yeah, alcohol tends to have that affect on us all."

"So tell me the truth, how big of an ass did I make of myself last night." Rachel sat down on the bed next to her friend.

"Do you want me to tell you the real truth or the glossed over truth that makes you feel better about yourself?"

"The second one."

"You didn't have sex with the guy," Rachel pointed out.

"Gee that makes me feel so much better."

"It should, I mean for a while there I thought you might. But that would just

complicate things for you even more. You know you're going to have to open your eyes eventually," Rachel chastised. Brooke grunted.

"I was thinking I would keep my eyes closed all day so I could avoid that bitch known as light."

"Well that's going to make your next runway so much more interesting. I can see the headlines now, '_Purple and Orange?"_ And inside "_When asked for comment employees of Brooke Davis explained that the fiasco could have been avoided if only she had opened her eyes when picking fabrics._ And the of course they would have a brilliant quote from the designer's beautiful best friend. I only hope that I don't get some little perv doing my description. As great as my boobs are I really don't want the world to read about them for two pages."

"Shit!" Brooke sat up, opening hr eyes.

"I know, I mean how many different ways can you say perky, round, and perfect?"

"Rachel would you shut up about your boobs?!"

"Oh so the spontaneous outburst was about the light?"

"No, I just realized that I have to go into work today."

"And…"

"And see people." Brooke's hand was on her forehead and her face told Rachel that, to her, this was a tragedy.

"Ok I left my decoder ring in the cereal box this morning, you'll have to explain yourself."

"I have to go into the office, look people in the eye, make decisions, and hire/fire people," Brooke whined.

"Brooke," Rachel put her hands on Brooke's shoulders. "You do that every day. It's called running a multimillion dollar company. It's called your job."

"I know. I know I do it every day. But it's not every day that I do it with a major headache and…"

"A hangup on the topic of a certain brooding boy"

"I was going to say a sensitivity to light. I do not have a hang up on Lucas. If anything you do. Every time we talk about something you bring it back to him. You're always talking about him."

"That's because you won't. Brooke I love you to death, and I try to do what's best for you. That's why I can't just let you sit there and pretend like Lucas doesn't mean anything to you." Brooke scooted herself up in bed and took Rachel's hand.

"And I love you for caring about me. I'll admit it; Lucas will always have a part of my heart. He was my first real love. The first guy that could make me smile in the middle of class because I was thinking about him. My first heartbreak. The first guy that challenged me and made me push myself. But that's why I can't talk about him. Because all those things are in the past. And it's easier for me if I keep them bottled up inside than if I wear my heart on my sleeve."

"Well what makes you think that he doesn't want a future with you?" Brooke gave a tight smile and gently patted Rachel's hand.

"I'm sure he's moved on. I've moved on. What we had was beautiful but it's over now. We've got completely different lives now. Who knows, maybe we aren't even compatible any more."

"I highly doubt that.

"Regardless, it's finished. Our chapter in his book is over. Now I've got to get to work." Brooke bounced off the edge of her bed and walked to her bathroom. Before she had shut the door, Rachel stopped her.

"Brooke."

"Yeah." Brooke turned to face her friend, but Rachel hadn't turned around. She was facing the wall, leaving Brooke to stare at her back.

"Don't close yourself off. You don't want to end up like me."

"Don't worry, my ass will never be as fat as yours," Brooke joked.

"I'm serious." Rachel turned around. "You're the only person that really cares about me."

"Rachel…" Brooke started to protest, but Rachel held up a hand.

"No. This is not a 'pity me' moment. I've accepted that I'll live most of my life alone. That's the way it's meant to be. But not for you. You've got so much to offer. You have this bubbly personality that makes people drawn to you against their own free will. That's what makes so many people care about you. All I'm saying is that if you keep closing yourself off and pushing people away eventually they'll stop pushing back. And you'll end up with only me. Trust me that's not good for either one of us." Brooke walked to the bed and bent down to get eye level with Rachel.

"Rachel I'll never be stuck with _only_ you. I get to spend time with crazy, brilliant, amazing you." She tucked a strand of Rachel's hair behind her ear and then pulled her into a hug. "And besides, it'll never be just the two of us. I've got David."

"The love of your life right?" Rachel said in a tone that told Brooke she didn't believe it.

"That's right. The love of my life." But even as Brooke spoke the words, her thoughts drifted to a certain blonde. And suddenly she wasn't sure she quite believed them.

Brooke looked again at her computer screen. No way had her magazine layout manager gone against her wishes again. Frustrated, Brooke brushed a stray piece of hair from her forehead and began to furiously cut and paste the articles and photos that she wanted changed. Today was a fairly routine day, no new designs to be made. All she had to do was work on scheduling and finalizing next month's issue of her magazine. Brooke was surprised that she hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"Wow. I can't believe I'm getting face time with the famous Brooke Davis." A voice floated in through her doorway. A voice from her past. A voice that shouldn't be in her office. Brooke's hand stopped moving the mouse and she paused, willing herself to turn around. "Or at least back time," the voice joked. After a few deep breaths, Brooke turned her chair around to face the entrance to her office. Standing in her doorway was a boy with short blonde hair. Eyes sparkling at her. A mischievous grin that could be masking all the hurt she had caused him when she left. Maybe Brooke was wrong. Maybe she had fallen asleep. She pinched herself, he was still there. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, but he remained. Lucas Scott was leaning casually against her doorframe. Brooke made no move towards him. "Ok maybe this was a bad idea. I was just about to go out to lunch with Rachel and she said that maybe we could stop by so I could see how you were doing, but you know what, I'll just go." Lucas turned around.

"Lucas!" Brooke stopped him. He turned. "I…It's good to see you," Brooke stammered. Lucas's face broke out in a grin.

"It's good to see you too." Brooke moved from behind her desk walking towards him. When she reached him he made a move as if he was going to hug her, but at that moment Rachel entered the office, a knowing smile plastered across her face.

"I see you found her," Rachel told Lucas. Lucas nodded, a disappointed look on his face. Brooke stared at Lucas a bit longer and then she moved to Rachel.

"Can we talk?" she whispered

"Yeah sure what about?" Rachel didn't lower her voice.

"Outside," Brooke growled.

"Ok. We'll be right back," Rachel directed to Lucas. Brooke turned to Lucas and gave a smile before following Rachel into the reception area. She closed the door behind her.

"What the hell were you thinking bringing him here?"

"I was thinking that maybe Lucas might like to see an old friend."

"The hell you were," Brooke scoffed as she began to pace. "So the whole time that you were telling me to avoid Lucas you had plans to go to lunch with him."

"No," Rachel said testily. "When I realized that a friend of mine was in the city I decided I'd like to see him so I called the bookstore this morning and got the number of his publisher. Then I got in touch with him and _then _I had lunch plans with him." Brooke didn't say anything. "Brooke you broke up with him, not me. And just because we're friends doesn't mean that I can't talk to Lucas."

"I never said that you couldn't talk to him."

"Good because I promised Lucas that while he was here, I'd show him a good time. We've got a lot of catching up to do." Rachel made a move towards the door, but Brooke stood still with her arms crossed. "Is there more?"

"Yes there's more!" Brooke shouted in disbelief. "After everything I told you this morning, how I couldn't stand to talk about him because it hurt me so much why would you think that it's a good idea for you to bring him here?" Brooke began to tear up.

"Because I thought it would be good for you to deal with things."

"No you thought it'd be entertaining for you. All you ever think about is yourself. You never think about what your actions do to other people." Rachel reeled back as if smacked.

"Are you done?" Brooke said nothing. "Since you seem to be fixated on our conversation this morning think back. What did I tell you not to do?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brooke looked into her best friend's eyes.

"What are you doing now?" Rachel held eye contact for a bit before pushing past Brooke to get into the office. "Come on Lucas. Brooke's busy right now so I'll show you around some more." Rachel gave one last look towards Brooke before walking towards the exit.

"It was good to see you, if only for a little bit," Lucas told Brooke. He moved in to give her a hug, but Brooke pulled back. She was afraid of what that hug would do to her heart. She stuck out her hand. With a sad look, Lucas shook it. "I'll be seeing you." Brooke nodded and then watched as Lucas joined Rachel walking towards the exit. She stared at the redhead and the blonde as they walked out of her office. Rachel was right, Brooke had closed herself off too many times and the two people she cared about the most had just stopped pushing back. Tears formed in her eyes as Brooke prayed that she hadn't closed those doors permanently.


	9. Chapter 8

Rachel pressed the down button to call the elevator a bit too fiercely. Then she stood back, arms crossed, tapping her toe. After waiting a bit, the elevator had yet to arrive so Rachel jabbed the button twice more and then began to push it over and over again.

"Rachel stop!" Lucas pushed her hand away from the button.

"Sorry. It's just that these elevators are so damn slow."

"We both know that's not what this is about." Lucas gave her a knowing look as the elevator pinged open. The two stepped inside.

"That's exactly what this is about." Rachel pressed the G button. "I would like to not have to wait half an hour every time I'd like to change floors. I keep telling Brooke…" Rachel stopped herself.

"And there's that elephant in the room. Or the elevator," Lucas jested as he indicated their surroundings. Rachel cracked a smile.

"You're so stupid." She pushed him gently as he chuckled.

"But being serious, I heard you two fighting."

"You did?"

"Let's just say I've had enough experience with the two of you to know that you're not exactly the quietest of people." The elevator doors opened and the two stepped out.

"Hey, you have not had that much experience with me."

"Right, I'm probably the one guy in LA right now that hasn't slept with you."

"Why Lucas Scott, one best seller and all of the sudden you lose all form of manners."

"Fame and fortune does that to people," Lucas joked. Rachel laughed.

"Have you really made that much money?"

"A decent amount. I'm no Bill Gates, but I've got enough to live comfortably. How about you, has your modeling career brought you more money and men than you can count?" Lucas held the door for Rachel as they exited the building.

"Men yes, money not so much. I mean usually Brooke helps me, but after today who knows if I can rely on that anymore." The two began to keep a steady pace as the strolled down the sidewalk in silence.

"So how is she?" Lucas finally asked.

"Well you saw her office. She's probably the most successful of all of us."

"So that tells me how Brooke the fashion designer and Brooke the entrepreneur are, but I'm talking about Brooke the girl. The girl who's had my heart at her disposal for years now."

Rachel chose to ignore Lucas's last statement, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. "She's good. She's moved on from Tree Hill, but sometimes I can see it in her eyes. She misses it."

"And me, does she miss me?" Rachel stopped. Noticing that she wasn't beside him anymore, Lucas turned.

"Lucas she told me that you'll always have a part of heart. I mean that's apparent by that look she gets in her eyes every time the topic of you comes up." Lucas cocked his head as his ego puffed up a bit.

"You two talk about me a lot?" he teased.

"I wouldn't say a lot, but yeah we talk about you. I mean you're a good friend of mine and you were her first love. Are her first love." Lucas smiled.

"I missed you Rach." He walked to her and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"I missed you too. But you know that whole crush I had on you is long over. I've moved on."

"Ouch am I that easy to get over."

"Oh no don't worry. I cried myself to sleep many nights. Ate pints of ice cream. I even turned to alcohol," Rachel teased.

"Rachel drinking alcohol, never," Lucas mocked surprise. The two laughed as they walked across the street.

"So Lucas tell me about your book," Rachel said as she sipped her drink. They had decided to grab lunch at a nearby restaurant before continuing the tour of LA.

"You mean you haven't read it?"

"Well it may shock you but I'm not much of a reader. I mean sure I'll read the occasionally Vogue or Jane magazine, but give me a book without pictures and my head explodes."

"Well my book has a picture of a raven at the beginning of each chapter."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah right above the chapter title."

"I may have to pick it up then." Lucas smiled.

"It's about all the people in my life in Tree Hill."

"So there's a radiant and gorgeous red head that drives you mad with desire in it," Rachel taunted.

"No but there is a red head that drives me crazy because she doesn't take hints very well."

"Oh she sounds like a bitch."

"On the exterior but I know the truth. That her hard as nails exterior is just to cover up a sad and lonely little girl." Lucas gave Rachel a pointed look.

"I appreciate you worrying about me, but I'm fine. LA has been good to me. In a small town like Tree Hill all of your problems are on display for everyone. But in LA you can just lose yourself. And that's what I needed. In a weird way I needed to lose myself before I could really find myself." Lucas took Rachel's hand and squeezed it.

"I'm glad." The two smiled at one another.

They released each others hands as their food was set before them. "So who else is in it?" Rachel asked while digging in to her lunch.

"Everyone. Haley, Nathan, Mouth…" Lucas stopped to give her a pointed look.

"Don't worry I've called him since I left Tree Hill." Lucas looked at her. "Once." Lucas said nothing. "Fine it was about two weeks after I left and all I really said was hey have a good life. But you're not one to judge unless of course I've missed the dozens of phone calls from you."

"Consider the subject dropped." Lucas took a bite of his food.

"So did Peyton not make the cut?" Rachel noted absences in Lucas's list.

"No I wasn't done." Lucas continued. "Peyton, Skills, Fergie, and…" He stopped.

"A certain elephant." A nod of confirmation.

"Haley was the first one to read it. She told me that she couldn't believe I'd let Brooke come to LA if that was how I felt."

"What do you mean?"

Lucas pushed his food around a bit before answering. "She told me that the way it read was one long love letter to Brooke." Rachel smiled.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure.'

"Why did you come to LA?" Lucas's eyebrows raised in question.

"To promote my book. I had a book signing and…."

"But the book signing is over. You could have left by now. I'm sure your publisher had a flight out of here booked for you the moment the signing was done with. So why are you still here?"

"To sight see?" Lucas tried meekly.

"Put it back on the shelf because I'm not buying it." Lucas set his fork down.

"Ok maybe some part of me thought that…well maybe…I mean if I ran into her…"

"A part of you thought that maybe you could get Brooke back," Rachel filled in. Lucas nodded.

"Rachel she's still all I think about. And I hate the way we left things, so unfinished. So yeah. I'm here to get her back." Rachel put her own fork down.

"Lucas I think there's something you should know…"

"No, Rachel I know she still cares about me. I felt it when I saw her today." Lucas smiled. "In fact I don't know why I'm sitting here. I'm going to her." Lucas jumped up and threw some money on the table. "It's been great talking to you. We'll catch up some more later." Lucas was almost out the door. "Good seeing you Rachel," he called and waved over his shoulder.

"Good to see you too Lucas," Rachel called out. Then she picked up her fork and stabbed a ravioli. "This is so not ending well," she mumbled to herself.

Lucas slammed his car door. He had gone back to Brooke's office to find that she had already left for the day. After convincing the assistant that he wasn't a crazed stalker and had in fact been to the office earlier in the day, he had gotten Brooke's home address. Brooke had done well for herself; Lucas noted the enormity of the house. He scampered up her front walkway which stretched for what seemed like miles. And then he was at her door. He chuckled. A red door. Brooke had always loved being the girl behind the red door. Lucas raised a shaking fist and knocked twice. He heard barking from within. Strange, he thought, Brooke had never been a dog person. But he was glad that she wasn't alone in the big house. Who knows what could happen to her in LA. But it was ok because he was here now and if he could help it she would never be alone again.

"Hush David," a voice from within chastised. Lucas's heart sped up at that voice and moments later it pounded out of control as the door swung open to reveal Brooke. She had changed since he saw her this morning. Instead of the stiff skirt, stylish shirt, and four inch heels, with her hair in a severe bun she was now wearing sweats and bare feet. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. And yet to Lucas she looked beautiful as always. "Lucas," she said breathlessly. "Hey. I…"

"Brooke the last time I saw you I told you that I loved you. I think I always had. I loved the way that you rolled your eyes at my stupid jokes but laughed all the same. I loved the way when you messed up you'd stick out your chin as if to say 'so what'. And I know that we haven't spoken in a while but my feelings for you haven't changed. This afternoon when I saw you I felt them all over again. And for some reason I got this feeling in my stomach that told me you felt the same way." Lucas smiled at her, waiting for a response.

"Lucas I…" Brooke choked, but she was cut off when someone walked up behind her.

"Who is it?" Lucas heard another voice from inside, a male voice. Moments later arms snaked their way around Brooke's waist and a man appeared behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"David this is Lucas, a friend from high school," Brooke told the man. David nodded at Lucas. Brooke turned towards Lucas, knowing what she was about to say would crush him. "Lucas this is David, my…" she swallowed hard. "My husband."


	10. Chapter 9

Lucas felt as if he had just been punched. The word rang in the air, echoing back to him. Husband. Brooke was married. And here they were, the happy couple standing before him. Brooke looking at him as if she had just shot his puppy and David staring at him blissfully ignorant.

"Your husband," Lucas repeated in disbelief.

"David, nice to meet you man," the dark headed man extended a hand which Lucas shook reluctantly.

"Hey David I'm going to go outside for a little bit. Catch up some.

"Yeah sure, but don't be too long," David said with a grin. Brooke gave a false smile in return. David pecked her once on the cheek and then retreated into the depths of the house. Without a word, Brooke stepped onto the porch and closed the door gently behind her. Equally silent, Lucas followed her down the front walk to the set of chairs in the front lawn. Brooke sat down, rubbing her arms despite the fact that she wasn't the least bit cold. It gave her something to do. Lucas gave her a look and then followed suite by sitting down beside her.

"So you're married," Lucas said stupidly stating the obvious.

"Yeah." Brooke avoided eye contact.

"All this time I've been thinking that maybe there's still a hope for you and me and you've been married." Lucas gave a false laugh. "So are you going to tell me the story or am I going to have to pry it out of Rachel later?"

"How much do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"Brooke I care about you and even though there's no hope for us, I want to know what's been going on with you. Everything." Brooke exhaled sharply and leaned back.

"OK well let's see when I first came to LA things were rough. My parents had sent me off with a check that they thought would be paying my college tuition which I proceeded to blow on fabrics and needles. I peddled a few dresses out on the streets, barely scraping by. Sometimes I'd only eat Raman for weeks."

"Why didn't you call Peyton? Or Haley? Or me?" Lucas seemed hurt that she hadn't thought of him.

"Because I had ended that part of my life. And I couldn't really admit to myself that I needed help. Besides things are so much better if you have to struggle to get them. So I took a few of my designs to a couple of stores and surprisingly they liked them. So I got my stuff in a couple stores and pretty soon I had enough money to buy myself a nice apartment and eat decent meals consistently. And then my clothes began to sell out and the stores bought more and more, yet I realized that I was being robbed the money that I had to pay for the 'privilege' of selling in the stores. So I scraped together some cash and opened my own store. The store made me tons of money and then one thing led to another and pretty soon I had my clothing line, my own store, my own magazine, and a multimillion dollar company." Brooke stopped.

"That's not everything," Lucas told her. "David," he explained.

"David. Well that's kind of a funny story actually. After I bought this house I felt so empty and I was a little scared. You know no one around that I really felt close to. I was walking past a pet store one day when this little bundle of fur barreled into my legs. A million wet puppy kisses to my face later and I had this little bundle of joy at home with me. He went nameless for a few days until I went to a psychic that told me that someone named David would change my life. Later that night I found myself smiling for the first time since I'd left Tree Hill. And I realized that this little dog had changed my life, so I named him David. Well it was less than a week later when David the human came into my life. I was walking David my dog and he ran into this dark haired boy. After an apology for my dog and a laugh about the identical names, David the human invited me out to dinner. We had dinner and one thing led to another and here we are."

"Married,' Lucas repeated.

"Yeah married." Silence fell between the two, neither looked at the other. "Lucas do you think that… do you think that we could still be friends." A hollow laugh.

"The words that every guy likes to hear. Well those and the love of his life telling him that she's married." Brooke looked hurt. It hurt Lucas to know that he had caused that pain, so he immediately tried to alleviate the hurt. "I'd like that, us being friends." This made Brooke smile. She reached out and took Lucas's hand.

"Friends."

"Well you ought to get back to David," Lucas told her as he stood up.

"Yeah. We should get together sometime Lucas, I'd like to know how things have been for you." Lucas smiled and leaned in to hug her. Brooke took a step back.

"Brooke we agreed to be friends. Friends hug." With a smile, Brooke stepped into his embrace. Immediately she felt the tingles all over just as she had in high school. But those tingles should be gone, or at least only there when she was hugging David. Her husband. The love of her life. Or at least she hoped he was. Brooke stepped back and forced a smile. Lucas took Brooke's hand and squeezed it a bit. "I'm the guy for you Brooke Davis. Someday I'll make you see that. I know you think you're happy now, but I know that's not a hundred percent true." Brooke grimaced, even now Lucas could still read her mind. "I'm going to go talk to Rachel." Lucas began to walk away but Brooke pulled herself out of the daze caused by his announcement to call after him. She couldn't leave it awkward.

"Hey don't freak out too much on her for not telling you. That I was married you know. It was my news to tell." Lucas chuckled, even now Brooke could still read his mind.

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind." Brooke watched him go, trying to deny the flutter in her stomach.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" Lucas roared at Rachel the moment she opened her apartment door.

"Whatever do you mean?" Rachel faked confusion. Lucas pushed past Rachel into her apartment.

"Don't play dumb with me. I just think that maybe you could have clued me in on the minute detail known as Brooke's marriage when I told you that I was going to go proclaim my love to her."

"You didn't," Rachel said with a pained expression.

"Oh yeah I did. I did, but I really wish I hadn't. I wish someone had told me that the love of my life was married before I made a fool of myself in front of her and her husband."

"David was there?"

"Well he missed the main event but I'm sure I piqued his interest." Lucas plopped down on Rachel's couch, putting his head in his hands.

"I did try to tell you many times, you just weren't interested in hearing it." Lucas looked up at Rachel with an angry expression. "Sorry." Rachel sat down beside him on the couch and put an arm around him. "Personally I think it's a good thing that you told her. The two of you have this perpetual 'will they won't they' dance going on. At least this way she knows where she stands with you."

"I just wish I knew where I stood with her."

"Don't give up on her Lucas. David may have put the ring on her finger, but you put that ache in her heart." Lucas looked up at the red head. "She told you once to fight for her and I think you should take her advice and go ahead, fight your heart out. Fight like you're freaking Jackie Chan." Lucas laughed. "What's that, a laugh? I never thought I'd see the day when Lucas Scott would smile again." Lucas sighed.

"Well I'm sure my publicist is having a fit right now. I didn't clue her in on where I was going. So I'm going to get back to it." He stood up and walked towards the door.

"Don't let another six years go by without any form of communication between us," Rachel scolded him.

"I promise." The two hugged and then Lucas exited her apartment. Rachel watched him walk down the hallway, hoping that he would heed her advice. She had barely closed the door of her apartment when there was a banging on the door. Rachel swung it open to reveal a disheveled looking Brooke. "What is my house, a halfway house for starcrossed lovers?"

"Excuse me?" Brooke asked with a knitted brow.

"Never mind. What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize." Rachel leaned against her doorframe with her arms crossed.

"I'm listening."

"Rachel I'm sorry for everything I said to you. It's just that you kind of ambushed me with the whole Lucas thing. I wasn't ready to deal with my emotions so I just lashed out at the nearest person, namely you." Brooke stared at Rachel, pleading with her eyes.

"Fine come in," Rachel stepped out of the doorway. "But the only reason I forgive you is because I need you to entertain me."

"Well how's this for entertaining, Lucas stopped by my house today." Brooke sat down on the couch where Lucas had sat moments before.

"I know," Rachel said as she took up the same position she had with Lucas.

"You know?"

"Lucas came by."

"Lucas came by," Brooke repeated.

"Are you going to repeat everything I say because that's going to get really annoying."

"Sorry." Brooke began to wring her hands. "Rachel I'd moved on. I'd moved on and then Lucas showed up. And just like that I've started to question every decision I've ever made since I decided to leave Tree Hill. Because every one of them is a reason why we're not together now."

"So your head's telling you that you still want Lucas," Rachel surmised.

"I don't know what my head's telling me. Rachel I just wish that everything could go back to the way it used to be. Life was much less complicated in high school."

"You mean the high school where your best friend made out with your boyfriend behind your back. Where your other best friend got married to a guy she had known for less than a year. A new girl hated you for some unknown reason. A kid brought a gun to school. You got pregnant and lost the baby. And where your friend lost her own child only to adopt her twin's baby. You mean that uncomplicated life?"

"You're right, life pretty much sucked in high school."

"It still does," Rachel pointed out.

"Yeah…yeah it does." And with those words Brooke let her tears fall. Rachel pulled her best friend into her chest letting Brooke cry into her shirt. "I really don't want to choose Rach," Brooke stammered between sobs. "I don't want to have to make that decision." Rachel rubbed circles on Brooke's back, not knowing what it is that she could say.


	11. Chapter 10

Brooke squinted against the light as her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times at her unfamiliar surroundings before remembering that she was at Rachel's. Brooke sat up, the blanket falling off of her.

"Good you're up," Rachel informed her as she entered the room, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "This means that I won't have to do my morning yoga in silence." Rachel unrolled a blue mat on the floor while Brooke rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Since when do you do yoga?"

"Since I got a job modeling. I've got to keep in shape. Not to mention it helps me with my anger issues." Brooke chuckled.

"We know you need help with those." Rachel threw a pillow in Brooke's direction. Then Rachel walked over to her stereo and pressed the play button. Loud screaming sounded from the speakers. "That's more like the Rachel I know."

"Whatever." Rachel sat down on her mat and closed her eyes, placing her palms together. "Now get off my couch and get in the shower you kind of reek." With a roll of her eyes Brooke got up off the couch and made her way to the bathroom. She was glad that she kept extra clothes in the spare room.

Water gushed from the faucet. Brooke stuck her hand under it to test the temperature, adjusting it a little bit before allowing the tub to fill. With a sigh Brooke sank down to the tile, cold against her legs. She pulled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Though Rachel wasn't bringing the topic up, Brooke was still thinking about yesterday. Lucas's confession to her had thrown her for a loop. And then she remembered the words she spoke to Rachel the night before, she didn't want to make the decision. Brooke had never been one to make decisions. They were usually made for her or she would just flip a coin. Brooke scooted herself over to the sink that her jeans lay strewn across. She rummaged in the pocket and pulled out a penny. The metal felt oddly warm in her hand. Brooke guessed that something with the ability to dictate your life would have abnormal temperature. Tails and Brooke would stay married. Mr. Lincoln and she would be with Lucas. Brooke gently tossed the penny from hand to hand. Then she placed it on the flat fingernail of her thumb. Eyes closed, she flicked her thumb up. A clang was heard as the penny hit the tile, but Brooke didn't open her eyes. She remained leaning against the side of the tub, staring at the penny across the room. A penny that would tell her her future. Brooke was a firm believer in fate. If fate wanted her with Lucas she would see the sixteenth president of the US, if not then it was David. But Brooke still couldn't bring herself to move. She remained staring at the penny. Suddenly she felt water on the back of her head as the tub began to overflow. Brought back to reality, Brooke rushed over to the penny and picked it up without looking at it. After tossing it aside, Brooke got into the tub.

"Did you have a good bath?" Rachel asked of her friend as she handed Brooke a mug of coffee. With a smile Brooke nodded. "Did you do any thinking?" Thinking was all Brooke had done. Thinking about everything but what she should be thinking about.

"Yeah I rethought the magazine cover for next month. And I decided that I want to lower the hemlines on a couple of my dresses because I really don't want to be catering to sluts. Also I want to change a couple of the fabrics I chose for the next runway because…"

"That's not what I meant. I meant did you do any thinking about that huge decision you have to make." Rachel waggled her eyebrows.

"I know, it's such a hard choice to make. I keep thinking that whichever way I choose could change my entire future." Rachel nodded. "And they both look good with my outfit. But I just can't decide, pumps or wedges?" Rachel shook her head.

"Pumps," Rachel said decisively.

"Ok pumps it is." Rachel and Brooke sipped their coffee in silence. "So do you have any input on that other decision I have to make?"

"Nope, that one you're on your own for." With a grin Rachel walked into her bedroom to change.

"Thanks for nothing!" Brooke picked up the paper and began to flick through it. "So I heard the phone ring while I was in the bath," she yelled.

"You heard that?"

"No what I really heard was your death music shutting off and then I heard it ring."

"That 'death' music happens to wake me up in the mornings." Silence filled the apartment.

"So who was it?"

"What was what?"

"On the phone." But Brooke had a good idea of who it was by Rachel's clever avoidance of the topic. And moments later Brooke got the answer she anticipated.

"Lucas." Rachel entered the kitchen, changed into jeans and a tank top. "It was Lucas."

"Oh," Brooke took a sip of coffee in an attempt to feign disinterest. "And what did he want?"

"He actually didn't want anything. It was more of an offer."

"An offer about what?"

"He's going back to Tree Hill tomorrow and he asked if I would like to come with him."

"And are you going?" Brooke asked in disbelief as she set her cup down.

"Well yeah, I thought I'd go." Rachel moved into the bedroom. Quickly, Brooke jumped down from her stool and followed her.

"Why? I thought you hated it in Tree Hill." She was shocked at the suitcase and the clothes lying haphazardly in Rachel's room.

"Well I just want to see if anyone misses good old me."

"I'm sure they don't," Brooke said as she mindlessly played with a shirt that was lying across the chair and avoided eye contact.

"Ouch, retract the claws."

"I'm sorry it's just…" Brooke's hands stilled and she looked up at Rachel. "It's just that were you even going to tell me you were leaving?"

"No." Brooke opened her mouth to speak her pain. "I was going to invite you to come along with us until you got all possessive on me."

"You were?" Brooke smiled. "Or still are?"

"Yes miss over possessive, I'm still inviting you."

"Yay!" Brooke bounced up and clapped her hands. She was springing out the door when Rachel stopped her.

"You do realize what this means."

"I've got to buy new clothes," Brooke tried.

"No this means that you and I need to get plane tickets."

"Done, I'll call my travel agent immediately."

"Well I've got the plane number that I need you to get us on."

"Why does it have to be that specific plane?"

"Because Lucas is on it."

"So?"

"So Lucas invited us, so we need to at least travel with him."

"He invited you, not me."

"He invited me who invited you and indirectly that means he invited you."

"Whatever give me the number." Brooke held out her hand which Rachel stuck a slip of paper into. Immediately, Brooke picked up her phone and punched in numbers.

"A plane ride with you and a man who confessed his love to you only to find out that you're married. Well this should be fun." Brooke turned and put her hand over the mouthpiece.

"You're sitting in the middle." Rachel laughed.

Brooke watched the same piece of black luggage spin back around the carousel. Lucas watched the people hurrying back and forth trying to get to their planes on time. Rachel stood between them trying to decide the quickest exit if the two decided to start a yelling match. Though she wasn't counting on it. The entire plane ride had been filled with her talking to Lucas and then talking to Brooke. But never Lucas talking to Brooke.

"So should we go call a taxi for when our luggage gets here?" Rachel asked to fill the void.

"I can get us a car to take us to Haley's. I haven't seen her or my little brother in a while."

"Well _I _can get us a car to take us to Mouth's. I never really got a chance to say goodbye to him." They both turned to Rachel.

"Oh look luggage is here." She stepped forward and pulled her bag off the carousel.

Rachel had skillfully avoided the topic of who she'd be going with while the three waited for the cars to arrive. But now they were here, Brooke's seventh bag stuffed into the trunk of one and Lucas's two bags tossed haphazardly into the other. The two stood beside their respective cars looking at Rachel. She looked from one to the other, trying to decide who needed her more. Finally she turned to Lucas.

"I think I'm going to go with Brooke." Brooke made a noise as if proud that she had won. "I would like to see Mouth and I don't really think that Haley's going to be too warm towards me what with me having tried to steal her husband and all." She walked to Lucas and gave him a hug. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah see you." He pulled back and looked towards Brooke. A quick nod in her direction and he was in the car and gone.

"These two in the car as well please," Rachel directed the driver. Brooke watched the car as it took Lucas away, far from her. The slam of the trunk brought her back to life. She and Rachel clambered into the back seat of the car.

The car ride was silent for five minutes before Rachel broke it. "So why do I feel like the child of divorced parents?" Brooke rolled her eyes. "Seriously the two of you avoiding eye contact and only speaking indirectly to one another, I was afraid that I was going to have to hide the knives."

"Well he's the one who decided to act like a petulant child about all of this."

"He's allowed to pout a little. He did just have his heart ripped out!" Brooke glanced out the window. "It's you who doesn't really have a right to be acting this way." Brooke looked to her best friend and then cast her eyes down.

"I know. Trust me, I know."

Brooke knocked on the apartment door. Rachel leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. "What if he doesn't even want to see me?"

"That's ridiculous. Of course he wants to see you. You were his wet dream from the moment you set foot in Tree Hill."

"Until the moment I left."

Brooke put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "He cares about you, leaving him didn't change that."

"Brooke," Rachel put her own hand on Brooke's shoulder. "The same to you."

"I know Mouth loves me." Brooke pulled away and knocked again.

"That's not the he I meant."

"I know. But please can we not talk about this right now?" Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but at that moment the door flung open.

"Brooke?!" Mouth said in surprise.

"Hey Mouth!" The two hugged tightly. "Look who I brought with me." Rachel stepped away from the wall into the doorway.

"Hey," she mumbled meekly. Mouth's face was expressionless. It revealed nothing of how he was feeling. For a moment Brooke was afraid that she had made a mistake in bringing Rachel, but then Mouth's face broke out into a giant smile.

"Rachel! Hey." He pulled a shocked Rachel into a firm embrace. Brooke smiled as she watched the two hold onto one another, remembering how nice that was.


	12. Chapter 11

Brooke smiled as the door closed behind her. There was no way she was going to remain in that apartment with Mouth making goo-goo eyes at Rachel and Rachel trying her hardest to ignore it. Those two crazy kids were going to have to work things out eventually and it would probably be much easier to do if there wasn't a third party present. Brooke flicked her phone open. She and Rachel had been at Mouth's apartment for two hours, so she estimated that the two had approximately three more hours of talking to do. What was Brooke going to do with her spare time? With a sigh, Brooke decided to continue the rounds.

She checked the slip of paper on which she had printed the address for the third time before looking up at the mailbox. The numbers did match, so she was in the right place. As she stepped out of the car and paid the driver she admired the house. It was large but not imposing like Brooke's house. Brooke smiled and walked up to the door, rapping on it twice. Almost immediately, the door swung open to reveal a small little girl with a huge grin and two blonde pigtails.

"Umm hi," Brooke said confused. "I was actually looking for…"

"Audrey! How many times have I told you not to answer the door!" A harried looking Haley walked up behind the girl she called Audrey and stopped. "Wh…what are you doing here?" Haley said as she caught sight of her best friend who she hadn't seen in five years.

"Well hello to you too Tutor mom."

"Yeah…hey," Haley smiled as she overcame her initial shock. She reached out her arms and pulled Brooke into a hug.

"Can't breathe," a little voice said from between the two. With laughs, they broke apart.

"Brooke this is my daughter Audrey, Audrey this is my dear fabulously rich friend Brooke."

"What does fabulously rich mean?" Audrey asked in puzzlement. The adults laughed.

"Never mind." Haley bent and scooped the little girl up. "Well come in." Haley moved aside to let Brooke inside. Having closed the door, Haley set the little girl down and swatted her butt gently. "Scoot." Audrey scampered off in the direction of the sound of the TV. "So how have things been with you?" Haley asked as she walked towards the kitchen. Brooke didn't say anything, caught up in thoughts as she watched the child's retreating back. "Brooke?" Haley called, concerned.

"Wh… yeah. Good. Things have been good." Brooke looked back in the direction of the girl, but she was gone. With a shake of her head, she joined Haley in the kitchen. "My company's been great. Successful."

"Yeah, Peyton and I never miss an issue of your magazine." Haley was bustling around the kitchen.

"So how is Peyton?"

"She's…well she's coming over soon you can ask her then." Haley began to chop up a pepper.

"And what about you? Are you and Nathan still the cutest couple in the entire world?"

"We've been really happy. Things have been going great. Nathan's opened his own scouting agency. And I've started substituting at Tree Hill High." Brooke laughed.

"Once Tutor Girl, always Tutor Girl. So why aren't you teaching full time? Why settle for substituting?" Unconsciously, Brooke picked a grape off the bunch on the counter and popped it into her mouth.

"Well we had Brooklyn and then by the time we got her potty trained Audrey came along, and now when I thought I finally had all the kids out of diapers…" Haley trailed off and Brooke noted something in her eyes.

"What? Has Nathan suddenly become incontinent and you…" and at that moment Brooke realized what she should have noticed the moment Haley came to the door. Her friend had a certain glow about her and her upper body was encased in an overlarge, flowing shirt. "You're pregnant," Brooke surmised. A nod of confirmation from a scared looking Haley. "Well that's…that's great." Forcing a smile upon her face, Brooke stood and hugged her friend. "I'm happy for you."

"Mama can I get something to drink?" a small voice asked from the kitchen doorway. Brooke turned.

"Sure baby, but first I want you to meet someone." The little girl rushed to Haley. "Brooke this is my friend Brooke. Your godmother."

"We have the same name," Brooklyn stated the obvious. With tears in her eyes, Brooke bent down to her goddaughter's level.

"Yeah we do."

"Do we have anything else in common?" Brooklyn asked. "Like am I going to get to wear cool clothes like you when I'm older and am I going to get boobs like yours?" Haley laughed and began to scold her daughter. Brooke smiled a sad smile. She could have had this. A little girl asking what she was going to be like when she grew up and wondering if she would be like Brooke. Or maybe a little boy throwing the football around with Lucas and asking him if he would be just like Lucas. Though Brooke tried to put on a brave face for this little girl being admonished by her mother before her, the whole thing made Brooke mildly uncomfortable.

"I'm going to go into the living room," Brooke dismissed herself. But as soon as she walked into the living room she turned back around. Audrey was curled up on the couch watching some cartoon on the television. There was no place to hide. Brooke crossed her arms and leaned against the front door, beating her head a couple times on it. She closed her eyes wishing that she could be ok with it all. Wishing that she could look Brooklyn or Audrey or even Haley in the eyes and give them a true smile. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the door being pushed open, displacing her.

Confused, Brooke watched as a curly haired blonde moved into the foyer, child in tow. "Haley, I'm…oh my! B. Davis is that really you?"

"Yeah P. Sawyer it's me." The two best friends embraced.

"B. Davis, as in Brooke Davis my godmother who's been absent for the past five years of my life?" Brooke blinked down at the girl behind Peyton. Clad in a concert t and Converses she was the spitting image of a young Peyton Sawyer. The older Peyton Sawyer however had changed. She had traded her trademark jeans and tee shirt look for a dressier, yet still edgy skirt and pumps. And she wasn't the anorexic skinny she was in high school. She was far from it.

"Oh, you and Jake…" Brooke pointed to Peyton's protruding stomach.

"Yeah in about three months," Peyton smiled. She wasn't as careful about breaking the news to Brooke as Haley had been, but Peyton had never been one to baby anyone. Brooke faked a smile.

"Later," Jenny said to the two adults as she walked to the kitchen, shoving her the white headphones of her iPod into her ears. It seemed that Peyton had already placed upon the young girl her obsession with music. No doubt Jenny's iPod was loaded with the Cure and Modest Mouse.

"Jenny came into the kitchen so I figured that you must be here," Haley said as she hugged Peyton, their pregnant stomachs touching one another. Blinking rapidly, Brooke turned from the two. As they pulled away from each other they both touched their stomachs.

"Yours kicking too?" Peyton asked. Haley nodded with a smile and then they both cast guilty looks in Brooke's direction. There was silence except for the cartoon sounds from the living room. Brooke knew that she was the one who would have to break this quiet.

"So what's in the water of Tree Hill? I come back and the two of you are pregnant, I mean is there anyone else? Bevin? Deb? Skills?" Letting out the breath that they had been holding in, Peyton and Haley smiled.

"Nope just us," Haley told her.

"So you're naming them both Brooke right?" Brooke teased.

"Yeah because that wouldn't be confusing at all," Haley said with a roll of her eyes. The two pregnant women walked towards the kitchen, turning to see if Brooke would follow them.

"You know what, I've actually got a few phone calls to make to work. I leave them alone for more than two hours and the whole company falls apart you know?"

"Brooke…" Haley started, soothingly.

"Haley, I'm serious. Work needs me. But hey, how about we get the gang back together for dinner tonight? I came with Rachel and she's with Mouth now. And you can bring Nathan and Peyton you bring Jake."

"And I can call Lucas," Haley said not knowing the weirdness that had occurred between the two.

Her smile faltered for a moment, but Brooke recovered. "Yeah, yeah you can invite Lucas. So I'll call you later to hammer out the details." Brooke hugged the two, making sure not to squish the stomachs. "Bye." And she was gone out the door. She walked down the stairs before she realized that she didn't have a car. "Better start walking," she mumbled to herself. A walk would be good for her, give her time to think. She had put on a brave face for Haley and Peyton and her goddaughters, but Brooke had to admit that she still hurt. She still ached for her lost child. She touched her stomach, wishing that there was a child inside so that she could complete the trio. The three of them had made it through the last part of high school together and she wished that they could make it through pregnancy together as well. As she strolled down the road she pulled out her phone and punched in numbers but not for work.

"Hey," a raspy voice on the other end answered. Without a hello, Brooke began to spill.

"Rachel I thought I could do this but then I see Haley and her two kids and one more in her stomach. And Peyton with Jenny and her huge belly and I want that. Why couldn't I have the perfect little family? I mean what did I do besides wear eye makeup a little too early in life to make life hate me so much that it would take everything away from me?"

"Brooke you haven't lost everything. You've got me," Rachel joked. "And David. And Lucas."

"Yeah I do don't I?" Without thinking about it Brooke felt herself smiling. "He seems to be the one constant in my ever changing life. My rock."

"So Brooke the question is, are you ever going to leave David for Lucas? Or are you leading Lucas on with no chance of ever being with him because he makes you feel safe? Because he reminds you of the good old days?" Pursing her lips, Brooke let out a sigh. She didn't have an answer.


	13. Chapter 12

"You know you could have stayed with Mouth and I," Rachel told Brooke as she messed with her hair a bit. "We were clothed the whole time, or at least partially," she added with a grin.

"Please tell me that was a joke because the thought of you and Mouth…." Brooke shuddered.

"It was a joke. I'm just saying that you could have stayed and talked with us rather than subjecting yourself to three small children and two buns in the oven." Flawlessly, Brooke applied mascara. "I mean are you ready to deal with the two of them for a second time today?"

"Rachel, they are two of my best friends in the world and I love them dearly regardless of how sad their children and current condition makes me."

"Current condition? You mean being pregnant?"

"Yeah that."

"At least you admit that it makes you sad." Brooke stopped fiddling with her purse.

"Of course it does, it makes me think to what I could have had. And what I lost. And it kills me that it makes me sad. I should be able to be supportive of this phase in my two best friends' lives. I should be able to take my goddaughters to a movie or out shopping and not tear up." Rachel capped her lip gloss.

"Brooke, honey, no one expects you to just let go of that part of your life. It was a life changing event and of course it's going to affect you." Brooke blinked and brushed the tears away.

"Not any more. From here on out I'm going to just act like these things don't affect me."

"If you keep acting eventually you'll truly belong in LA," Rachel joked. She took Brooke's hand in hers. "Don't give up on the past, it makes you who you are today."

"Why Rachel that was very deep of you."

"I know. Tell you what…" Rachel grabbed her jacket as the two headed out the door. "I promise to never ever be that deep again. So are you ready for tonight?"

"Yeah I mean why wouldn't I be?" Brooke checked the door to make sure it locked behind her.

"Well a certain brooding blonde will be there."

"How about you come up with a new adjective/noun combo for when you want to bring up Lucas? Or you know what, how about you actually use his name because despite what you seem to believe, the mere mention of his name does not make me bring out the razor blades and hack away at my wrists."

"Ok fine, Lucas. Are you ok that Lucas is going to be there? Because I've seen you try the whole silent treatment on the plane and then the competitive, bitchy act at the airport. And neither of them seemed bring you any results. So tonight you're just going to have to suck it up and talk to him. He's hurting. You're the one that did the hurting. So that means that you're the one that needs to make the first move."

"Car's here," Brooke stated as a response. Without a word, the two got in the car and rode to the restaurant.

The car pulled up outside the quaint restaurant. As Rachel and Brooke walked up to the front, they bumped into Lucas. "Oh um…hi," Brooke stumbled. Lucas nodded and then held the door open for the girls.

"Good start," Rachel murmured to Brooke as she passed by.

"There are our big city girls," Mouth called as Brooke and Rachel moved into the heart of the dining area to join the group already assembled.

"Hey," Brooke smiled. There were hugs all around as Rachel stood awkwardly on the side lines as she was only close to Mouth and Lucas. Brooke knew that the topic of the children would be considered forbidden unless she brought it up first. So following her new philosophy to act like nothing mattered to her, she broke the taboo. "So Tutor Parents got a night out? And Mr. and Mrs. Jegalski. Did you lock the kids in the basement?" Everyone laughed before sitting around the table.

"Ok I hate to break up this lovely, Dawson's Creek bonding moment, but I have something to say," Rachel said as she faced the table. "I was never really close to any of you in high school and I'm not saying that I really want to be that close to any of you now, but I also don't want to sit here on sidelines all night while you guys trade stories about the good old days. I mean Haley I know why you hate me because I tried to sleep with your husband. And Nathan doesn't like me out of solidarity. But Peyton you and I are the only two at this table that have decent taste in music. And you Jegalski our paths never really crossed so there's no need for you to be angry with me. So tonight all of you are going to include me in your conversations whether you like it or not." With that, Rachel sat down. "So Haley other than getting knocked up… twice what have you been up to?" Rachel shoved a breadstick in her mouth.

"Well, Rachel, right after high school Nathan and I went to Stanford. I studied to be a teacher and he played basketball. It was hard raising Brooklyn and studying for class, but we got through it." She beamed up at Nathan in a loving way. "And then midway through freshman year I found out I was pregnant again with Audrey. We were thrilled and scared. It was hard enough raising one baby much less two. In junior year Nathan got an offer to work for a scout and well…you want to talk about that?" she offered to her husband.

"Not really much to tell. I started to work for this guy at some big shot scouting agency and he kept telling me I had a lot of promise but I wasn't getting anywhere. So I quit. But knowing that Haley would take it kind of hard if I told her that she and the girls would be living in a nice cardboard box, I had to get another job. I quit school and opened up a small agency and well it went uphill from there. I'm no millionaire but it pays well enough to keep a roof over our heads."

"He's modest. It's very successful. Which is why I didn't worry too much that I didn't have the time to work as a full time teacher. But enough about our lives I'm sure you want to hear about everyone else's."

"Yeah how have the rest of you losers been?" Rachel asked the table at large.

"Peyton's been working at a record label," Jake offered.

"Yeah but it's not as glamorous as it sounds, I'm pretty much a glorified assistant. I get the owner his morning coffee and take lunch orders. But Jake's been doing the cute little stay at home dad gig. It's really quite adorable." She ruffled her husband's hair. "And you two, how's life in LA?"

"Fabulous," Rachel said with a smile. "I've been doing great modeling. I always knew that this rocking body of mine would be a good investment." Haley rolled her eyes.

"And Brooke how have you been?" Haley asked.

"Ok done with me," Rachel said.

"I'm sorry, was there more?"

"Oh Rachel's got a whole ode to her boobs written that she'll perform if you give her the chance," Brooke joked. "Things for me have been, exciting. I mean one minute I'm sketching these little dresses in my notebook and the next they're being worn on the runway. And then I've got all this money that I don't even know what to do with it."

"Well you can throw some of that my way if you'd like," Peyton joked.

"And you Lucas, what all have you been up to," Brooke asked him. He looked up in shock.

"Writing."

"Writing? That's all you've done for the past five years?" Brooke laughed.

"Writing and thinking about where we went wrong." The table got silent.

"Lucas I…"

"No I know, you're married. But I'm not giving up that easily Brooke. I'll settle for being your friend for now, but sooner or later I'll make you see that we belong together." Forks clanged and chatter was heard from every table except the one with the reunited friends.

"Lucas, man, could you come with me for a sec?" Nathan stood up and reluctantly his brother followed him. Jake looked from his wife to her best friend to Haley.

"I'm going to go with them," he said as he hurried after them.

"So married? Wow." Peyton nodded her head. "What's his name?"

"David. He's a great guy."

"As great as Lucas?" Haley mumbled quietly. She and Lucas were best friends and seeing the way he treated Brooke she couldn't see why Brooke would be with anyone but Lucas.

"Lucas is a great guy," Brooke agreed. "But I can't keep chasing my past. I have to move on. I have moved on."

"Pick up his book when you get a chance. You need to know how he's feeling," Peyton told her. When Brooke shot her an evil look, Peyton held her hands up defensively. "I'm not saying that it'll change your mind or your life it'll just clear a few things up." The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

"You know I need to go check on the kitchen staff. My head chef called in sick this morning," Mouth said as he stood up.

"_Your_ head chef?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. This place…" Mouth looked around. "I mean I know it's not like those fancy bistros in LA, but it's all mine."

"And you failed to mention this in the hours that we talked?" Rachel asked in mock offense.

"You never asked," Mouth said with a shrug before leaving to go make sure his kitchen staff didn't serve anything uncooked.

"So Mouth went from wannabe newscaster to restaurant owner?" Brooke asked of Haley and Peyton, trying to keep the conversation off of her and Lucas.

"After Jimmy…killed himself," Haley said the last part quietly. "He never really recovered. After high school he kind of just gave up on that part of his life. I mean he says it's because there aren't that many chances for sports broadcasting at Harvard, but I know."

"Haley events like that change people. Sometimes it's for the good and sometimes it's for the bad," Brooke explained.

"So was yours for the good or the bad?" Haley asked.

"For the…" Brooke started but she was cut off when the four boys returned.

"Haley the sitter just called. She's having trouble getting Audrey to sleep and I said that we could come home and get her." Haley smiled.

"The joys of being a mother," she smiled and then gave Brooke a pained expression.

"Hales, I'm fine. I know when I left I was in such a state that the word mother practically pushed me off the edge, but I'm better now." She glanced quickly in Rachel's direction and the red head gave her a knowing look.

"Sorry we have to cut the evening short," Haley said as she hugged everyone goodbye and then followed Nathan out.

"Yeah I think I'm going to have to cut it short as well," Peyton said as she struggled to get to her feet.

"P. Sawyer calling it quits before midnight? What happened to the party girl I went to high school with?"

"If I remember correctly, you were the party girl not me. Not to mention, even if I was a party girl this," she indicated her stomach. "Kind of takes all the party out of a girl."

"Call me soon B. Davis," Peyton hugged Brooke and then a shocked Rachel.

"I guess that baby's eating all the bitch cells," Rachel said as she pulled away. With a roll of her eyes, Peyton and Jake made their exit.

"In continuing the stopping of this party, I've got to make sure that my kitchen does not burn down. I'll call the two of you soon. We'll get together on a less hectic date." Mouth hugged Brooke and then Rachel.

"Hey maybe you could come out to LA to see us sometime," Brooke suggested.

"Absolutely." With one last smile, Mouth was gone.

"And then there were three," Rachel said as she looked from Lucas to Brooke. The two had been surprisingly pleasant towards one another all evening and Rachel was crossing her fingers that it would last.

"So would you two ladies like a ride to your hotel?" Lucas offered.

"Yeah that'd be great," Brooke smiled. Rachel followed the two, a bemused expression across her face.

Lucas pulled his car into a spot in front of the hotel. "All that money and you're staying here?" He took in the dingy surroundings.

"I don't like to go around flaunting my wealth," Brooke said with a smile.

"Oh yeah when I think Brooke Davis I think unassuming." Rachel rolled her eyes and began to climb the stairs.

"Ha ha," Brooke faked a laugh as she stared at Rachel's rapidly retreating back. Lucas had begun to get out of his car but Brooke stopped him. "You don't need to walk me to the door, it's not like this was a date or anything." The two held eye contact as they both entertained thoughts of what that would be like.

Lucas broke eye contact first and then attempted to make up for the awkward silence. "Well I was just going to make sure that you didn't get killed on the way up." She knew that this wasn't true.

"Well look, Rachel made it up ok. And if it helps, I'll run really fast."

"Goodnight Brooke." And then he stared at her, his eyes boring into her in a way that she knew all too well. He took her hand in his and put his other over it. They stayed still for a moment before Lucas once again tried to make up for the awkwardness. "Well start running." She smiled and then fake jogged up the stairs and to her door. Before entering her room she gave a wave to Lucas who was still sitting in his car watching her. He laughed and started his car, driving away while laughing. Brooke slid into the room and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it, a smile on her face feeling oddly like a giddy teenager.


	14. Chapter 13

"So where's Rachel today?' Haley asked as she caught Audrey at the end of the slide. She set the little girl down and she scampered back to the top to join her sister.

"She's helping out Mouth at the restaurant," Brooke responded.

"You really think she's going to be much of a help?" Peyton asked as the three women walked the nearest bench.

"I think when she says help she really means go and order some complicated food or throw napkins all over the floor until Mouth's staff gets so fed up with her they force him to kick her out." All three laughed as they sat down. Peyton positioned herself so that she could watch a desolate looking Jenny trail her toe in the dirt as she swung back and forth slightly. White iPod cords dangled from her ears.

"I think she's getting too old for this," Peyton said as she continued to watch her daughter. "I'm going to be so happy when this one comes along." She touched her stomach.

Haley smiled, watching her own daughters. "I know what you mean, I miss having someone that's fully reliant upon me." The two mothers smiled broadly as Brooke sat uncomfortably between them. She had heard the spiel about children and reliance before.

_Karen folded Lucas's shirt and placed it in the basket. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Karen called. The door opened to reveal a sheepish looking Brooke._

_"Hi," she muttered quietly._

_"Brooke. Lucas isn't here but I'll tell him that you stopped by." _

_"Actually I came to see you. We haven't had a chance to talk since…" Glancing down at her stomach, Brooke trailed off._

_"Since your announcement."_

_"Yeah." Brooke sat down at the kitchen table. "Karen I want you to know that I didn't plan this. I know that a lot of teenage girls do it to hold onto their boyfriends but I didn't do this as some form of trap. And we were really careful…"_

_"But accidents happen." Karen put a few more items of clothing into the basket. Then seeing the look on Brooke's face she realized that her comment had hit a soft spot. With a sigh, Karen plopped into a seat across from Brooke._

"_Karen I can't get rid of this baby and the thought of someone else getting to see my child's first steps and hear the first words, I don't think I can handle that. So I'm keeping the baby. And I know that it goes against your plans for Lucas, but I'm not forcing him into anything. He doesn't have to…" Karen reached across the table and touched the stammering girl's hand. _

"_Brooke I don't blame you. My son is just as responsible for this as you are. And yes I was not happy at first, who wants their teenage son to tell them that he's about to become a father? But I respect your decision. I understand. I remember when I was in your situation. And I also remember what it was like when I found out that Dan was not going to be there for me and Lucas. I will not let another girl go through those same feelings of disappointment and frustration and rejection. Lucas will be there for you and his son or daughter." Brooke smiled. "But I hope you know how much responsibility a baby will be. This little person will be fully reliant upon you. You will be responsible for giving him or her food and shelter and protection and warmth and love."_

"_Karen I know. And I'm ready for it. In case you haven't noticed, my house was never one of the warm and fuzzy kinds but if my parents did teach me one thing about taking care of a child it was what should not be done. I know the timing is not exactly perfect, but I'm happy and I'm ready for this baby. This baby will always have someone to watch over him or her. Except for school hours." Brooke suddenly began to panic. "I hadn't really thought about that." She seemed to slip out of the room and into her own frenzy of fear. "Who's going to watch over the baby while Lucas and I are at school? I mean I guess I could bring her or him to class with me. Or…"_

"_Brooke. That's one thing that you will not have to worry about. Your baby will spend school hours with his or her grandmother." Brooke smiled up at the older woman. _

"_Thank you. It's great that I have someone here that's been through it all." Without a word, the dark haired women embraced. _

Squeals from across the playground pulled Brooke into the present. "I don't know if I would go that far," Peyton laughed. "Having a small human being incapable of anything without you is a fulltime job."

"But a rewarding one," Haley said with a gleam in her eye as she watched her daughters. "I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Except when they're cranky," Brooke pointed out.

"Or greedy," Haley laughed.

"Oh yeah Christmas is so stressful. I want this, I want that. Last Christmas I just wanted to cut my ears off."

"Speaking of Christmas, my girls have already started talking about this year. They're excited now that auntie Brooke is back and they heard that she is loaded."

"I wonder who they heard that from," Brooke said pointedly looking towards Haley.

"Audrey! Brooklyn! How about we give some other kids a turn on the slide," Haley suggested. After a bit of whining Haley wrangled her girls off the gym and onto swings. She pushed one girl as Brooke pushed the other.

"So do you think that maybe we could go food shopping together soon?" Peyton asked of Haley. "You've done this twice before so I figure you know what sorts of foods I should be eating. Jake's been getting on my back about what I shouldn't be eating." As the two pregnant women conversed about proper foods to be eating, Brooke drifted into her thoughts.

"_Oh Luke we should get this." Brooke touched the white swingset near her. "Can you imagine pushing a little Broody baby late at night." Sighing, Brooke smiled. _

"_Do you really think we should be buying all of this stuff so early?" Lucas asked as Brooke drug him to the nearest bin of stuffed animals._

"_I just think that the sooner we get ready the better prepared we'll be. Oh look a purple monkey." From the top of the bin Brooke plucked a stuffed purple monkey. "You remember the stories I told you about me and my purple monkey when I was little."_

"_Brooke why are we really buying all of this stuff?"_

"_Whatever are you talking about Lucas?" she asked as she put a baby monitor into the basket._

"_I'm thinking that maybe there are other reasons for the over indulging."_

"_Why don't you just spit it out? Tell me why I'm far too excited about buying baby items." Brooke brushed a strand of hair from her eyes._

"_I think that maybe you're worried about this baby. You're worried that maybe you aren't ready. That you don't have enough. That you won't be good enough. And you think all of that will be magically fixed by getting our baby everything that he or she could ever need or want or even imagine. Did I miss anything?" Cuddling the purple monkey to her chest, Brooke stuck out her lower lip._

"_No." Reluctantly Brooke began to pull things out of the cart. "But could we at least get the purple monkey?" she pleaded._

"_I think a purple monkey is a must." She smiled up at Lucas. Lucas kissed her and then placed a feather light kiss on her stomach before standing up and kissing him again. _

"So how about the mysterious David?" Peyton pulled Brooke out of her memory.

"What?" Brooke asked a bit startled.

"David. We've never heard a word about him and then you show up in town and tell us that you're married."

"David. Oh he's great." Brooke pushed the swing a bit harder.

"Great? That's all we get?" Haley prodded.

"Well we met after my dog attacked him on a walk one day. And he thought that it was pretty funny that he and my dog shared something in common. We had coffee and then a couple of dates. And for the first time since I had come to LA I found myself actually enjoying the company of a male companion. He moved in with me soon after, so that he could keep me safe in that big house. Pretty soon he asked me to marry him and I said yes. We had a shot gun wedding in Vegas and then I was a wife. I had a husband."

"So what's he like?" Peyton pried.

"He's a lawyer. A pretty successful one at that. He's funny and smart and attractive. And he takes care of me. He takes good care of me."

"You sound happy," Haley said with a smile.

"I am," Brooke smiled a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

"We want to go play on the slide again," Audrey whined to her mother.

"Ok but you have to let other…" but the two kids were already at the slide, shoving other kids aside. "Duty calls." Haley strode over to the slide to chastise the girls.

"Do you think that you could keep an eye on Jen for a little while?" Peyton asked Brooke. "As this little baby gets bigger he pushes on my bladder a little harder and I have to pee a little more often."

"Go it's no problem."

"Thank you." As Peyton waddled towards the bathroom Brooke sat herself down on the swing beside Jenny. The two were silent as Jenny stared towards the ground and Brooke watched Haley chase her daughters around the playground.

"So if you're my godmother then where have you been all these years?" Jenny asked. Brooke turned to the little girl who had slipped one of the ear buds from her ear.

"Well kiddo I had things going on in my life. Things that just couldn't be dealt with here."

"So you just packed it up a fled?"

"How old are you?" Brooke asked of the girl who seemed wise beyond her years.

"Nine, but I watch a lot of Oprah." Brooke nodded. The two turned away from each other and stared out at the play ground. "So are you staying this time?" Brooke turned back to the little girl.

"Excuse me?" Jenny turned to face Brooke.

"Staying. Should I get used to your presence or is this just a weekend trip for you?"

"I honestly don't know."

"I guess that all depends on how things work out between you and Lucas right?" Brooke stared at Jenny. "You guys think that because I'm under the age of ten it means that I can't hear."

"No we think that because those ear buds are permanently fixed in your ears it means you can't hear."

"Sometimes, when I think that a conversation is going to get interesting I'll turn the music down or off completely. I learn a lot of good gossip that way." Again Brooke nodded. "So do you love him?"

"Lucas? Well yeah he's my friend."

"No," Jenny took the other ear bud out of her ear. "I mean do you love him like mom loves dad." Brooke thought about the question for a while. Realizing that there was no reason not to tell the little girl, she opened her mouth to respond. At that exact moment a relieved looking Peyton and an angry Haley returned, dragging two girls behind.

"I think it's time we should go," Haley grumbled. Jenny gave Brooke one more pointed look and then slid out of her swing to follow her mother.


	15. Chapter 14

"The girls are asleep, finally," Haley whispered as she gently shut the door behind her.

"Jenny got settled in your room with a book. Hope you don't mind," Peyton told Haley. Haley waved it off.

"So do the two of you want to watch a movie or something?" Haley asked. With difficulty, Peyton eased herself onto the couch.

"Sure. I'm up for anything." Haley waddled over to her DVD collection and began to read off titles. Brooke smiled and then her phone rang.

"Sorry," she whispered, listening to see if the phone had woken up Haley's daughters. There were only the sounds of deep breathing. Brooke stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Hello," she said softly into her phone.

"Hey," a deep voice said from the other end. Brooke's heart skipped a beat.

"Hi." She tried to keep herself from smiling.

"Where are you, robbing a house?" the voice teased her soft tone.

"No Lucas, I'm at Haley's."

"Ah and the little ones are sleeping."

"Yeah and I've found that when Brooklyn wakes up she can be a bit of a spoiled brat."

"I think she gets it from her namesake."

"So is there a reason you're calling me other than to mock me mercilessly?"

"Actually yes. I think we got off on the wrong foot when you came back here. You know I can be a little…aggressive."

"Lucas, you don't need to apologize for anything."

"I know, but I feel weird. So to make up for it I was thinking that maybe we could go out to dinner. Catch up on our lives and everything."

"Like a d…" but Brooke couldn't bring herself to finish the word date.

"Like two old friends who haven't seen each other in a while catching up."

"Ok I guess we could." Brooke ran her finger along the edge of the counter, trying to fight the urge to smile.

"So tomorrow, at eight. I'll pick you up."

"Don't you think that's a little date-like?"

"Fine I can drive a car and you can follow me in a different car. We can even sit at different tables if that would make you feel more comfortable. Or you know what we could look for a couple restaurants in the same area and just go to those maybe call each other on the phone and talk that way, or would that be too date-like?"

"Picking me up at eight sounds great."

"You're a poet and you didn't know it."

"Bye Lucas," Brooke said as she hung up her phone. As she stared at her phone she felt a familiar churning in her stomach.

"So what did Lucas have to say?" Brooke jumped at the voice and turned around. Peyton and Haley were standing in identical poses, hands on their stomachs and leaning against the door frame of the kitchen. Haley smiled Brooke in a knowing way.

"He just wanted to say hey," Brooke lied.

"And his just saying hey got you smiling like the Cheshire Cat?" Peyton teased.

"No." Brooke forced the smile from her face. "No, I just, I saw this," she grabbed a piece of paper off of the fridge. "Audrey drew this? Wow she's like a child prodigy." She pointed to the picture.

"Brooke, it's a stick figure. The sun has a face," Haley pointed out.

"But it's a really good face. I mean the eyes and mouth are…proportional." Brooke gave it up and put the picture back on the fridge. "We're going out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Like a date?" Peyton questioned.

"No like two friends going out to catch up on their lives," Brooke defended.

"Just remember Brooke, that you are married. And some how I don't think that David would look too favorably on you sleeping with another man," Peyton joked.

"Peyton! What kind of a girl do you think I am?"

"Well I've known you since we were nine and let's just say you've always been a bit…friendly." Brooke slapped Peyton's arm.

"Lucas and I are going to dinner. We'll talk, have a few laughs, that is all. Now if you don't mind I'm not really in the mood to watch a movie. I think I'm going to go back to the motel." Brooke walked towards the front door, gathering her coat and bag.

"You know I was thinking about that," Peyton said as she followed Brooke.

"Me driving?"

"No, you staying in a motel. Jake and I have an extra room so maybe you could stay with us."

"What about Rachel?"

"She could sleep on the couch," Peyton suggested. Brooke gave her a look. "Or Jenny could sleep in bed with Jake and I and Rachel could have her bed."

"I'll talk to her about it. Thanks P. Sawyer!" Brooke hugged Peyton and then Haley. "I'll call the two of you tomorrow."

"Before or after the date?" Haley teased.

"See killing you would be cruel because your babies really haven't done anything to me. I mean I guess I could cut them out of your cold dead bodies, but…."

"Call me tomorrow morning when you and Rachel figure out if you'll be staying with us," Peyton cut her off.

"Bye." Brooke gave each of them another hug and then walked out to her car.

"Hey where you been?" Rachel greeted as Brooke slipped into the room.

"I was hanging out with Peyton and Haley. How were things at Mouth's?"

"Fine. I sat in a corner booth and made a mess. I kept sending food back to the kitchen and finally his employees begged for him to kick me out. So I'd chalk it up to a successful afternoon." Rachel was flipping through channels on the TV.

"So I was talking to Peyton and she said that if we wanted to we could stay with her while we're in Tree Hill."

"Would I have to sleep on the couch?"

"No, she said that you could have Jenny's room."

"Is it shaped like a castle?"

"I doubt it."

"A pirate ship?" Brooke shook her head. "Any other whimsical objects?"

"Have you met Jenny? I seriously doubt it."

"Ok then. We'll stay with your lame ass friend."

"Well don't get too excited about it."

"So other than a location change what's the game plan for tomorrow. I was thinking that maybe we could go shopping tomorrow afternoon and then head over to Tric in the evening."

"Oh." Brooke sat down on the bed.

"Oh that sounds great, or oh I have other plans."

"The latter," Brooke mumbled.

"Do share. Are you and the pregnant ladies hitting the town?" Brooke picked at the skin around her nail.

"No."

"You have a crazy babysitting night planned?"

"I'm going to dinner with Lucas!" Brooke finally broke.

"Well."

"Well what?" The remote made a thud as Rachel threw it on her bed.

"Well… that sounds like a date." Brooke shook her head.

"I swear the three of you, a broken record."

"Excuse me?"

"Peyton and Haley had the same reaction when I told them."

"That's because it's you and Lucas."

"What does that have to do with anything?" With a sigh, Rachel shifted herself to face Brooke.

"You and Lucas going out to dinner means something."

"Yes it means that the two of us are going to eat a perfectly platonic dinner."

"When it comes to you and Lucas, there's no such thing as platonic."

"Not this again Rachel." Rachel held up her hands.

"All I'm saying is that the two of you have a lot of history. A long history full of romance and lust."

"But that's just it Rachel. I keep telling you. It's history. As in the past. As in we're not together anymore. As in I have a husband."

"Just be careful Brooke. His heart's very fragile."

"Rachel nothing's going to happen. We'll go and talk about old times and such. I'm not going to pout my lips and bat my eyes only to tell him that I never want to see him again." Brooke stood up and collected a change of clothes. She walked towards the bathroom, ready to take a shower.

"Well just don't wear anything too low cut."

"I promise."

"Or too short. You know because one wrong move with the legs and Lucas has a heart attack." And then you've got to call the ambulance and spend the night with him in the hospital. And then you have to explain to David why you spent another man." Brooke rolled her eyes as she closed the bathroom door. "I'm just looking out for you!" Rachel yelled through the closed door. "Well this should be interesting," Rachel mumbled to herself as she resumed flipping through channels.

Brooke leaned her head against the door. Why was everyone making such a big deal about a dinner between friends? Why did no one believe that she and Lucas could be something other than romantic interests for each other? She kept telling everyone that they were just friends. Everything was completely platonic. As she turned on the faucet, she prayed to herself that she was right.


	16. Chapter 15

Another dress fell onto bed with its peers. Rachel poked her head into the bedroom. "What are you doing?" she asked of her friend.

"I can't believe I didn't pack any of my really good clothes," Brooke said exasperated.

"What?"

"My dresses that look like I actually care about what I look like."

"Ok there's a baby in desperate need for some bath water over here." Rachel sat down on the edge of the bed as Brooke bustled around destroying the room further.

"I have a dinner tonight. A nice dinner and I want to look nice. But all of my clothes say, hey I just threw this on so that I wouldn't have to go naked to the grocery store."

"So you're going to the grocery store?"

"No!" Brooke threw her hands up. "I'm going to dinner with Lucas. But I'm saying that none of my clothes are good enough for the dinner, they all scream errand running outfits."

"Well you seem to have very chatty clothing items," joked Rachel. Brooke threw the dress she had just picked up on the floor as she plopped down.

"Why is this such a big deal?" she asked as she faced the carpet.

"Because it's Lucas. Everyone tried to tell you that it was going to be a big deal and you played cool and tried to brush it off but it's finally catching up to you. You're finally realizing that this isn't just dinner between two friends. This is dinner between two soulmates."

"Rach, I'm married. Married!" To emphasize her point Brooke held up her left hand to display her wedding band. "I have my soulmate." Rachel slid off the bed and joined Brooke on the floor.

"Can't you have two soulmates?"

"The very definition of soulmate means that there's only one for you in the world." Another sigh from Rachel.

"I can't give you advice on love, lord knows, I'm no expert at it. I'm still waiting for my knight in shining armor to show up and prove to me that not all guys are the same. But I can tell you this, Lucas looks at you the way I pray a guy would look at me. He looks at you like the sun shines out your ass. That boy lives and breathes for you. My advice, make your decision. Hang on to him or cut him loose. If you want to be with him, great but if the two of you don't have a future together he needs to be putting his effort into wooing another girl."

"I know, I know." Looking down at the carpet, Brooke sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "Did you just say wooing?" she asked as she looked up. Rachel smiled. Her friend was going to be all right.

"Get dressed." And with that she left the room.

"He's here," Rachel said in a sing-song voice. Brooke smoothed her dress for the hundredth time and ran her fingers through her hair. After trying on what seemed to be a million different outfits, Brooke had settled on a simple black dress that wasn't too conservative or too revealing. Moments ago the outfit had seemed perfect but now she was reconsidering her decision. She couldn't figure out why she was so nervous. Her stomach was bubbling in anticipation and she felt as if she would sweat through her dress. Moments later the door bell rang. Peyton and Jake had taken Jenny out to a movie so Rachel opened the door. "Hi Lucas." Brooke appeared behind Rachel and she made eye contact with Lucas. Her heart beat doubled in speed.

"Hi," Lucas muttered to Rachel, distracted.

Glancing behind her to see what Lucas was looking at, Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go. I won't wait up for you, but remember there is a child in the house so if you're going to do anything dirty either do it elsewhere or do it quietly with the door locked." With a smirk, she left the two alone.

"Hi," Brooke beamed.

"Hi," Lucas repeated.

"Hi," Brooke said again.

"So should we get going?" Lucas stepped aside.

"Yeah, let's go." Brooke closed the door behind her. As she locked the front door she was all too aware of Lucas standing so close to her that she could feel his warmth. When she turned around after locking the door, her face was inches from his. The two stood staring at each other. "So are we going to stand here all night are should we maybe get going?"

"Right." Lucas looked as if he had been slapped. He pulled himself back to reality. The reality in which Brooke, his Brooke was married. But she wasn't his Brooke anymore. She was someone else's. As she zipped up her bag he could see the evidence that she was with someone else. The gold band glinted in the light of the porch lamp, taunting Lucas. Showing him what he could have had. Lucas held open the car door for Brooke. With an uneasy smile, she settled herself into the front seat. They had only been together for five minutes and already Brooke could tell that this evening was going to be harder than she thought.

Brooke's dimples made their appearance for the millionth time that night. Her bright laugh rang out. "She did not," Brooke commented on Lucas's story as she pushed her food around on her plate. Lucas took another sip of his wine and set the glass down.

"She did. She told me that my book had changed her life and that she had two tickets to Vegas. One for me, one for her. And then she flashed me. Right there in the middle of the book store."

"Women can get really desperate when they hit thirty and still haven't got that ring on their finger," Brooke laughed.

"The good thing is that you won't have to worry about that," Lucas said a bit sadly. Brooke nodded. "Because you've got the golden ticket." He indicated her ring finger.

"Let's talk about something else. Have you been seeing anyone, I mean besides the woman who proposed to you at the book signing."

"Oh there have been many women at many book signings." Lucas grinned.

"Lucas Scott, turned into the womanizer I always knew he could be." Lucas couldn't help but marvel at the way Brooke's face lit up. The way her the dime sized dimples popped up on her cheeks.

"Actually there hasn't really been anyone serious. I had a couple of dates with a woman I met at the publishing company, but it didn't really work out."

"Why not?" Brooke asked with blissful ignorance.

"Do you really want to know?" Brooke glanced down. Something in Lucas's expression told her that she already knew the answer.

"No I guess I don't."

"So should we get going?" Lucas asked as he waved down the waiter.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Despite her best attempts to deny it, Brooke felt a pang at the prospect of the evening ending. The waiter arrived and placed their check on the edge of the table. Immediately, Lucas opened it and threw down a few bills. Brooke opened her purse.

"No it's ok I got this."

"Lucas when friends go out to lunch each one pays for their own food. If only one person pays for the food it makes the whole dinner seem suspiciously like a date."

"And that would be wrong because you're married."

"Yes, yes it would." Lucas handed over the black check holder.

"Well then there's your part of the bill." With a smile Brooke put down her own bills and handed a couple of Lucas's back to him.

"But you read a lot in high school," Lucas countered.

"No I only read a lot in high school because I was trying to impress you," Brooke smiled as she and Lucas walked up the front walk of the Jegalski home.

"You went through all of that just to impress me?"

"What can I say, I was a hormonal teenager." The two walked up the front steps.

"Well you should give reading another try."

"Lucas I don't have time to read between the company and trying to keep Rachel from sleeping with every man in Los Angeles." Lucas smiled, noting the one thing that was absent from her list. Her husband.

"Books can do wonders, they boost your vocabulary and relax you and they give you something to talk about and…"

"Ok I get it!" Brooke held up her hand and pulled her keys out of her purse. "I'll read more," she promised. She moved her keys from one hand to the next as Lucas shifted from one foot to the other. "Maybe I'll start with your book."

"Ah there's no use in you reading it, you lived it."

"But I'd like to know what you secretly thought about me all of those years. I get the see each situation from your side."

"Trust me everything I thought was good." Lucas took a step closer. Brooke willed herself to move back, but her heart kept her feet rooted to the spot. "And you know how I felt in those situations, I never kept things from you. I was always upfront about my feelings." Brooke thought back to how many times Lucas had told her how much he loved her and how much he admired her. It made her heart flip. Lucas took another step closer. Again Brooke's thoughts flickered to the past and how many times she and Lucas had been in this situation before. She and him standing on the porch after a date. Brooke shook those thoughts from her head. This hadn't been a date, it was merely dinner. But if that was all it was then why was her stomach tied in knots and why was Lucas's face a mere two inches from hers. She had to stop this. Lucas closed his eyes and leaned in, but Brooke but her hand on his chest.

"Good night Lucas." Lucas looked down as he stepped back.

"Good night Brooke." He watched as she made her way into the house before he walked off the porch. Brooke watched him get into his car and then sighed.

"You're home early, was it that bad?" Rachel asked.

"I'm going home," Brooke spoke bluntly. With that she walked towards the guest room leaving a confused Rachel behind.


	17. Chapter 16

Brooke threw her suitcase down on the hotel bed. Shuffling back and forth took its toll on a girl. After Brooke's non-date with Lucas she had gone home to David. He had asked how things had gone and Brooke skillfully avoided any mention of Lucas. She didn't know why but she didn't feel comfortable talking about him with David. Rachel had returned to LA merely a day after Brooke claiming that no one in Tree Hill really liked her that much. But Rachel had brought a message for Brooke from Jenny. Rachel quoted, "Tell her I said that I never really expected her to stick around even though she should her being my godmother and all." So to make up for it, Brooke began to fly back and forth from LA to Tree Hill. She could do designing on the plane, spend her days in Tree Hill with her three goddaughters and her best friends, and then fly back to LA to deal with business and her two Davids. The appearance of her husband was rare as he was usually holed up in his office at work or his office at home. Sometimes Brooke swore he loved the job more than he loved her. Though Brooke didn't want to admit it, Tree Hill did have another appeal, Lucas. In an effort to gain his muse back, Lucas had hung around Tree Hill. He and Brooke had continued to build their friendship. They were both godparents to Haley's daughters so they ended up spending a lot of time with each other.

A ringing sounded from Brooke's purse. She reached for it. "Hello?" she spoke into the phone.

"Are you back yet?" a slightly whiny voice sounded from the other end.

"Calm down Jenny, I'm here."

"Where's here?"

"My motel room."

"Why don't you stay here with us? Mom says that she offered our guest room to you multiple times."

"Yes but good things can only be tolerated in small doses. So you see if I stayed there you might tire of me."

"Or you might get tired of me." Brooke smiled.

"That's never going to happen baby girl."

"So I listened to this new band today."

"Oh yeah tell me about them." Brooke settled down on her bed as Jenny began to prattle on about the beats and lyrics. Despite her attempts to keep her guard up, that little girl had stolen her heart. Brooke's constant trips back and forth were made worthwhile when she walked into Peyton's house to Jenny rushing at her screaming. That and a certain broody blonde helped make Brooke's constant jet lag completely tolerable if not welcome.

"So little girl what do you say you and I hit the mall tomorrow?" Brooke asked of the rambling girl.

"Brooke you know I don't like shopping."

"You love clothes, just not the bright and happy kind. But I promise you we will look at tons of black and some really cool boots."

"Fine deal. But we listen to my music in the car." Brooke laughed.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow. I love you little girl."

"Love you too," the girl crooned and the two hung up. As Brooke set her phone down on the side table she caught herself smiling. It was amazing how much Jenny could brighten Brooke's day. Brooke stood up and began to put away her clothes. As much as she loved talking to Jenny it did make her a little sad. Jenny was about that age that Brooke's own child would have been had he or she been born. Brooke began to think about what life had been like when there was still a possibility of a future for her child.

_"So what do you think this baby's going to be like?" Brooke asked Lucas. The two of them were lying on the couch watching mindless television. Brooke's head rested on Lucas's chest and she could feel the thumping of his heart. _

_"It'll cry and poop and pee and need feeding." Lucas traced lazy circles onto Brooke's back._

_"No I don't mean when it's a baby, I mean when he or she grows up. Or at least becomes less dependent upon us. Do you think it's going to be broody and read all the time like you? Or maybe it'll be completely fashion conscience like me regardless of gender."_

_"So you want a gay little boy?"_

_"No I just want him to be fashionable, it'll help him get the girls."_

_"I don't want to think about our child dating. Especially if it's a girl and she takes after you."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Brooke propped herself up so that she was facing him._

_"It means that despite your more beautiful qualities, you used to be a bit…friendly." Brooke's mouth opened._

_"I was not."_

_"You remember the first time we met?" Brooke avoided eye contact. "You were topless in my backseat if I recall correctly."_

_"Ok so I was friendly. But that all changed. Because I got me a man." He leaned down and kissed her. "Maybe our kid will be nothing like either of us. He or she might be a movie buff or a music guru or an artist." Lucas smiled down at his crazy girlfriend._

_"Whatever our child will be, it'll be great because he or she will have a little bit of you in them."_

_"And a little bit of you." They smiled and kissed before Brooke laid her head back on Lucas's chest. "So what are we watching?"_

_"I really don't know." _

_"Oh." But neither of them moved to change the station because it wasn't about watching TV, it was about being with each other._

As Brooke put her jeans in the bottom drawer her phone rang again. "What else does that girl want to talk about?" Brooke spoke to herself. But when she checked the id it wasn't Jenny's name on the screen. Instead it read another name that belonged to a person that could brighten any of her days. "Hey," she answered.

"Well hello there traveler," Lucas joked. "Are you back in Tree Hill?"

"Yes I am. Have you seen those goddaughters of mine? They are just too damn cute to stay away from."

"Yeah they are pretty adorable." Lucas sounded distracted.

"So you just wanted to call to ask if I was in Tree Hill."

"Actually I went out to get food and I ended up ordering far more than I could ever eat so I was trying to come up with someone to help me eat it all. But Haley's got Nathan and the girls and Peyton's got Jake and Jenny so…"

"So you thought of me." Brooke smiled.

"And I'm actually on my way to your motel right now."

"A motel, very presumptuous of you Lucas Scott." As the friendship between the two had grown they had become more comfortable with each other. They had gotten to the stage where they could joke about dating and romance between them. But despite the comfort between them Brooke still felt the butterflies that shouldn't be there whenever she heard his voice.

"Well have you seen me? I just can't keep the girls off of me."

"Dinner sounds great. How long till you get here?" Brooke looked around her room.

"Actually, I'm here." Brooke walked to her window and pulled back the curtain. She saw the headlights of Lucas's car and couldn't resist smiling.

"Well you do make good time and I am starving so…"

"I'll be up in a minute."

"I'll open the door for you." Brooke set her phone down and immediately began to run around cleaning things up and putting things away.

"Hey," Lucas greeted as he entered the room with an armload full of food.

"Wow you really did get too much food."

"Did you think I made that up?"

"No...no." But Brooke was lying. She did think that maybe he had made it up just so he could see her. And a part of her wanted him to be lying.

"So where do we…" Lucas looked around the room and Brooke did as well. There seemed to be a lack of seating.

"On the bed?" Brooke suggested.

"Whose being presumptuous now?" Lucas raised an eyebrow and Brooke prayed that she didn't blush as easily as she did when she was around Lucas.

"I'll pick the TV station."

"So why are we watching the Real World again?" Lucas asked of Brooke as he shoved a bit more of the food into his mouth.

"Hey watch where all those crumbs go." She handed a napkin to him. "I have to sleep here. And we're watching the Real World because I enjoy the sexual tension that always exists between two of the roommates."

"You do know that this show is mildly scripted right."

"No!" Brooke acted scandalized. "But that type of sexual tension does exist in real life. It's what keeps our world turning." Two of the roommates on the screen began to talk. Lucas put his food on the floor beside the bed. Brooke set hers on the side table and took a sip of her drink. The roommates began to move closer to one another, the girl telling the boy that she had a fiancée at home. Brooke shifted a bit on the bed. This was hitting too close. She glanced sideways at Lucas and he turned as well. They smiled at each other. The two roommates moved closer to each other on the screen. Lucas reached into the bag of chips at the same time that Brooke did. Their hands brushed and Brooke pulled her hand back quickly.

"Sorry," Lucas apologized. On TV, the two began to make out. "Well they seemed to get past the fiancée quickly," Lucas commented. Brooke turned to Lucas. Their eyes locked. Without breaking eye contact, Lucas moved the chip bag off of the bed. He shifted his body slightly towards her. Inhaling deeply, Brooke moved a bit towards him. They were so close their legs were brushing. Lucas reached out his hand and brushed hers. She didn't pull back. He pushed a piece of her hair away from her face and then leaned in. Brooke's head was screaming to her to stop this but her heart was screaming something else. Before she knew it, Lucas's lips were on hers and she immediately felt her lips reciprocating the kiss. Lucas pushed Brooke so that she was lying flat on her back. Before her mind could grasp what she was actually doing, she reached for Lucas's belt buckle. "Wait." Lucas pulled back, hovering over her as he propped himself up. "Are we really doing this?" Brooke looked into his eyes. This was Lucas. Her Lucas. And if this was so wrong then why did it feel so good? Brooke inhaled deeply and smiled.

"Yeah we're doing this." She moved her torso off of the bed so that her lips crashed onto his. And with that her decision was made.

Brooke opened her eyes. An arm lay across her stomach. The events of the hours before came back to her in a rush. What had she done? Brooke rolled off of the bed, pulling a sheet around her. She fiddled in the dark collecting her clothes. After getting dressed, she found her phone and punched in a few numbers. As quietly as she could, Brooke moved outside to the porch.

"Hey Peyton I know it's late but do you think I could talk to Jenny."

"She's already in bed."

"I know, but it's just this once."

"I'll go get her." Brooke could hear Peyton moving around her house. "Hey Brooke are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just need to talk to my goddaughter." Brooke heard the sounds of Peyton waking her daughter and then a sleepy Jenny came onto the line.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jenny. It's Brooke."

"Hey Brooke!" The girl brightened immediately.

"I'm really sorry about this babe, but I've got to cancel on our date tomorrow."

"Can we do something else?"

"Afraid not sweetheart, I'm going home." The next words she spoke pained Brooke. "For good this time. I can't keep going back and forth. But maybe you could come visit me in LA."

"Yeah maybe." Jenny seemed a bit less than excited. "So what happened?" Brooke said nothing. "Something with Lucas right?" Jenny's insight into things still shocked Brooke even after all the time.

"You're smart. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Not often enough. Brooke? It's ok, you going home. I knew this couldn't last forever. But do you think you could still call me occasionally?"

"Try and stop me."

"Ok cool. So I'll talk to you later."

"Sure thing. Love you baby girl."

"I love you too. Go work things out with Lucas." Brooke closed her eyes.

"Absolutely." She hated lying to Jenny. Brooke shut her phone and pinched the bridge of her nose. Being as silent as possible Brooke moved back into the room to pack up her things without waking Lucas.


	18. Chapter 17

Balloons lined the sidewalk. Small children ran around the backyard sugar high on the cookies and candy laid out along the long table with the pink table cloth. Parents stood along the edge of the uproar laughing at their children and occasionally chastising a child for this or that. The glass patio door opened and closed as constant streams of people moved in and out of the house. Haley and Nathan stood on the side chatting with Lucas, Jake and Peyton.

"So you think Lyn's enjoying herself?" Peyton joked. The four adults watched as the little girl chased other children around the yard, her birthday crown balanced precariously on her head.

"I think she's going to want to turn seven again tomorrow," Haley smiled.

A breathless Brooklyn ran up to her parents. "Mom, do you think we could cut the cake now?" Haley smiled down at her little girl.

"Whatever our birthday girl wants." The girl clapped her hands in glee.

"Cake!" The children nearby caught on and began to chant.

"Cake! Cake! Cake! Cake!" Haley rushed inside and reappeared with a large cake with pink frosting and seven lit candles. The group sang happy birthday and Brooklyn blew out her candles to a round of applause.

"Oh did I miss the singing?" a cheery voice called from the patio. The Scotts and Jegalskis turned at the familiar voice.

"Brooke!" Brooklyn cheered and ran to the brunette. Her younger sister and Jenny standing nearby turned at the shout.

"Brooke!" they both called and followed Brooklyn. Brooke hugged her three goddaughters with a bit of difficulty.

"You got fat," Audrey pointed to Brooke's protruding stomach. With a sad look in her eyes, Brooke smiled.

"Actually there's a little baby in there," she told Audrey.

"Did you eat it?" Audrey asked, puzzled.

"No stupid she's pregnant. You know like mommy was before she brought baby Drew home," Brooklyn stuck her tongue out.

"Hey hey girls, don't fight," Haley said as she arrived. "Wow Brooke." Haley looked at Brooke's stomach.

"Yeah," Brooke commented.

"Congratulations," Peyton said as the two hugged.

"What is this, when I came back to town last time it seemed like everyone was knocked up and when I come back to town with the baby in my stomach everybody's jumped off the baby bandwagon?" Brooke noted her two friends' flat stomachs.

"Brooke you've been gone for three months. Believe it or not those things don't stay in there forever," Haley laughed.

"So where are my darling new godchildren? You are going to make me the godmother right?" Peyton and Haley rolled their eyes.

"We wouldn't dare not to," Peyton told her.

"I think they are with their dad's, ah here they are." At that moment Lucas, Nathan, and Jake joined the group. The latter two carrying small bundles of blankets. Lucas smiled at Brooke and then looked down at her stomach, shocked. His eyes widened and Brooke looked down, ashamed. She had no reason to be ashamed. She was married. It was the natural order of things. Girl gets married, and then girl has children. It was the way of life. Brooke was ok with being pregnant until she saw Lucas. Suddenly she felt dirty and ashamed that she was carrying someone else's baby. She was afraid that it would bring back memories of the last time she was pregnant.

"This is your new godson Drew Scott," Haley said as she took the baby from Nathan's arms and presented him to Brooke. Brooke took the baby in her arms.

"Haley he's beautiful," Brooke beamed.

"Yeah it makes up for those moments when he screams at one am." Haley took her son back.

"And where's the little Jegalski?" Brooke clapped her hands in excitement.

"Meet Sophie Rose Jegalski," Peyton smiled as Jake handed Sophie to Brooke. Tears began to fill Brooke's eyes.

"She's gorgeous. Man there sure are a lot of females in our group," Brooke commented looking around at the assembled adults and their children.

"I know, let's hope that that little one has a Y chromosome," Jake pointed to her stomach. Brooke smiled but shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly Sophie began to scream. Jumping into mom mode, Peyton took the baby from Brooke's arms.

"She needs to be fed."

"I've got some stuff inside," Haley told her. "I've got to feed Drew anyways. Brooke I'm glad you're here. Help yourself to some food." With that Haley and Peyton disappeared into the house.

"Hey Jake do you think you could help me serve the cake?" Nathan asked a bit pointedly. Jake looked from Lucas to Brooke, both of whom were looking down at the ground.

"Yeah I think I can do that." The two made a hasty leave.

"And then there were two," Brooke said.

"So wow you're pregnant," Lucas pointed out stupidly.

"Yeah."

"How far?"

"About three months."

"Three months wow." Silence overtook them. "So do you ever think of last time?"

"Last time?" Brooke asked.

"The last time you were pregnant. Does this make you think of that?" Again Brooke's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry that was really rude of me." Lucas moved to her side, feeling guilty. Hesitantly he put an arm around her shoulders. Giving in, Brooke leaned her head onto his shoulder.

"What if I lose this one too?" Brooke sobbed. "I don't think I could handle that. I'm just barely getting over the loss of my last baby. I don't…." But she didn't finish because she began to sob.

"Hey…hey. Brooke." Lucas took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to look at him. "You are not going to lose this baby. I will make sure of that. I will be here for you if you'll let me and I will make sure that this baby is safe and that you're safe. You will not lose him or her." Lucas put his hand on her stomach. "I promise you that. You will not lose this baby," he repeated sternly. Brooke sniffled a couple more times before the tears stopped. Lucas led her to a seat.

"I talked to my doctor and told him about last time. He said that it was most likely caused by stressed so I've been phoning in my work. Doing the designs at home and mailing them to the office you know?" Lucas smiled.

"Well if that's the case then why don't you stay here?"

"What?!"

"Stay here. Peyton and Haley are here and they've been through this before so they can help you out. And this way I can keep an eye on you. And I know your goddaughters would love to have you around more. I swear that Jenny talks about you like you hold the sun up in the sky."

"I really love that little girl," Brooke smiled as she watched Jenny run around the yard. "I love all three of those little girls. Or I guess four now plus one little boy."

"You haven't even spent any time with Drew or Sophie. How do you know you love them?" Brooke smiled.

"Because when those little babies looked up at me with their big doll eyes I felt it. I felt that twang in my heart that told me I was going to love those babies forever. It's why I can't wait to be a mom. I can't wait to have a baby who's all mine. I can't wait to hold him or her in my arms and know that she or he needs me. Really needs me. Peyton and Haley smile more now did you notice that?" Lucas nodded. "Ever since Jenny and Brooklyn those two girls have transformed into these happy go lucky people that I barely recognize. And I want that. I can't wait to be a mother."

"Yeah parenting sounds great," Lucas said with a smile. "I know that every time I hear 'Uncle Lucas' my heart just melts. I think I'm ready to be a dad. Now I've just got to find the girl." Brooke gave a sad smile. Lucas deserved to be happy and she was married but it still stung a little whenever she thought about him with another girl. A part of her would always ache for Lucas.

"You'll be a great dad someday Lucas," Brooke reassured him.

"And you'll be a great mom in about six months Brooke." Lucas put his arm around Brooke and pressed his lips to her forehead. Brooke's heart jumped into her throat. It was a friendly gesture and nothing more, she tried to assure herself. But that's not the way her heart chose to take it. Her heart chose to continue beating at racecar speed as Lucas leaned back in his chair, his arm still around her shoulders. Lucas had the ability to turn Brooke into a giddy, love-struck teenager even when she was married to another man. And Brooke had a feeling that he always would have that ability. But was it wrong that he had it? Shouldn't she feel that way about David, her husband? The two didn't speak, simply watched the goings on around them. A woman whom neither recognized approached them.

"You know Brooklyn?" she asked of the two.

"We're her godparents," Brooke spoke proudly. The woman smiled and nodded.

"The girl in the pigtails on the swing, she's mine." The woman smiled blissfully as the three looked towards the swingset. "Your first child?" she asked of Brooke pointing to her swollen stomach. Brooke nodded. "You two are going to love parenting it's so rewarding."

"It's her first child, not mine. I'm not the father," Lucas spoke.

"Oh I'm sorry. I just assumed."

"I'm a friend and nothing more," Lucas informed her firmly. But something in his voice told Brooke that it pained him to say those words. And part of Brooke found herself happy that it hurt him.

"Oh well you're going to love parenting," the woman spoke now only to Brooke. "Babies really bring together family and friends. It's wonderful. And demanding. I've got to go." The woman bustled towards the swings where her daughter was now lying on the ground crying. Lucas and Brooke watched the woman pick the girl up and cradle her like a baby even though she was about eight.

"I think I'm going to stay," Brooke whispered.

"Really?" Lucas turned to her, excited. Grinning, Brooke nodded. She loved that it made him excited. "Brooke that's great." He hugged her tight and Brooke clung to him wishing that he wouldn't let go and then feeling guilty for it. "Well you're not staying in that motel you always stay at. You can move in with me." Brooke's smile faltered slightly. "So that I can take care of the baby, nothing more." Brooke smiled.

"I'm going to go back to LA tomorrow to get my stuff and settle a few things, but then I'll be back and you'll be stuck with a hormonal woman who will get progressively fatter and crankier in your house."

"I can't wait." Grinning from ear to ear, Lucas hugged her again.

"I'm going to go tell the girls." With a bit of difficulty Brooke eased herself out of her chair and strode across the lawn to tell her goddaughters. She couldn't believe she was doing this, leaving her husband to move in with her high school sweetheart. But then again she wasn't leaving David. She would remain married to him and return to him when the baby was born. She was just doing this for the baby. So that the baby would be born without any complications. But the churning in Brooke's stomach told her that this whole thing wasn't just for the baby, that maybe it was a little for Brooke as well.


	19. Chapter 18

"What about this?" Haley held up a small pink dress.

"It's cute, but I don't know if it's a girl or a boy," Brooke smiled.

"Yeah I guess your son would look a little funny in a dress. And somehow I don't really think David would approve." Brooke slid a few hangers along the rack.

"Speaking of David," Peyton spoke up as she held a onesie in front of her. "How is he?"

"He's good," Brooke spoke vaguely.

"Really because I haven't seen him around."

"Well that's because he doesn't live here," Brooke pointed out.

"But it's his baby!" Peyton shouted.

"David's busy. He's got work to do and he doesn't have time to fly out to Tree Hill. Plus he knows I'm being taken care of."

"Yeah Lucas waits on you hand and foot," Haley said with a smile.

A 'hello' look on her face, Brooke waved a hand at her stomach. "I can't see my feet, I deserve to be helped out a little bit."

"He tucks you in at night, if you fall asleep on the couch he carries you to your bed," Haley pointed out.

"Which is no small feat now," Peyton joked as she indicated Brooke's stomach.

"I'm due in two weeks!" Brooke shouted exasperated.

Haley rolled her eyes and continued. "He drives you to every doctor's appointment and holds your hand the whole time."

"You've had those appointments they can be scary without someone with you," Brooke defended herself.

"I could have come with you," Haley offered.

"Or me," Peyton pointed out.

"Yes but you don't get that uncomfortable look on your face every time the word cervix is said."

With a faraway look in her eyes, Haley smiled. "Oh yeah I remember that face. Nathan's was quite amusing."

"Jake didn't make the face, he just looked down and pretended like he wasn't hearing it." The three girls laughed.

"See you guys had people there."

"Yeah our husbands," Haley said pointedly.

"Well my husband isn't here, so I need a stand in."

"Your high school sweetheart? I'll bet David loves it," Peyton smiled.

Setting the baby shirt down that she had just picked up, Brooke sighed. "David knows that I'm living with Lucas. He understands we are friends and nothing more." Brooke strolled across the section, her friends following behind.

"Yeah but does Lucas understand that?" Haley asked, her eyes averted to the floor.

"Or you for that matter?" Peyton smiled.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Brooke whirled to face Peyton. For some reason she felt like she was being attacked and she didn't like it. What business was it of theirs her relationship with Lucas and David.

"It means that the two of you are acting a little less buddy buddy and a little more married couple," Peyton sighed. Brooke's stomach gave a churn. Was that really how it appeared to everyone? And was she disappointed about it? For some reason she found herself a little happy about the mistake.

"We should probably get going. It's not like I can buy anything anyways. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl." With that Brooke strode towards the exit, leaving her two confused best friends in her wake.

The key clicked in the lock as Brooke opened Lucas's front door. Or kind of her front door now that she had been living here for about five months. She waddled over the entrance and turned to shut the door behind her. "You're back." The voice made Brooke jump.

"Jeez don't scare me like that." Brooke closed the door. "You might make me give birth right here in the front entrance."

"I'd call the midwife." Brooke smiled, that was Lucas always willing to help no matter what it meant for him. He truly took good care of her. She couldn't ask for more. Except maybe her husband, the father of the child she was carrying, to actually give a damn about what she was doing. As much as she tried to play it off it hurt her a little that David wasn't there for her. And it also hurt her that he was completely ok with her shacking up with another guy. "So you didn't buy anything," Lucas pulled Brooke out of internal anger.

"No I just wasn't in the shopping mood."

"Brooke Davis, not in the shopping mood? I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"Haha. What's that smell?" She sniffed the air.

"Dinner."

"You made dinner? For me?" Brooke was touched.

"Well we had to eat." Brooke flushed, a bit embarrassed at her assumption. Of course he just made dinner because the two needed to eat. It was nothing more. The two walked into the kitchen where Lucas began to fuss around the stove. Brooke plopped down in a stool and picked up a carrot, biting into it with a crack.

"So Lucas?"

"Yeah?" Lucas called a bit distracted.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lucas mumbled his consent. "Why aren't you at your publishers?"

"What?" Brooke traced her finger on the counter.

"Your publishers? I know you had a meeting with them today. But clearly you didn't go; otherwise you wouldn't have time make all of this." Brooke indicated the food surrounding her on the counter.

"Well I knew that when you got home from your day of shopping you would need sustenance. So here it is." Brooke shifted a bit uncomfortably. It seemed that he was going a bit far. She didn't want to put him out only to leave him when the baby came along.

"You're such a good provider," Brooke smiled feeling the ease and comfort she had with Lucas. Her thoughts drifted back to Peyton's comment from earlier. Now Brooke understood the married couple reference. But for some reason Brooke wasn't completely opposed to it. Right there Brooke promised herself that she would accept the façade. She would play the part of wife to Lucas and be ok with everyone assuming that her child was Lucas's. At least until the baby came. When the baby came she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to act. When the baby came she would have to go back to LA. No not have to, be able to. She would be able to go back to her husband and be able to run her company again. But if it was such a privilege to be going to LA then why did it hurt her so much to leave? She was going home, she should be happy about that. As she gazed at Lucas carving the pot roast, her heart gave a thud that told her she was home. Tree Hill felt more like home to her than LA ever had. She knew for a fact that it didn't feel like home because of the warm and fuzzy home that she had here. She had never had that. But it felt like home because of the people here. Her two best friends and their husbands who Brooke had grown to love more and more. Her five beautiful godchildren. And this boy standing in front of her. This boy who would do anything for her. Who had already done so much for her. Who loved Brooke with his whole heart and who Brooke, despite her attempts to make everyone believe otherwise, loved him back.

"So you ready for dinner?" Lucas smiled at her. As Brooke's heart gave the familiar thudding she smiled back and followed him to the dining room.

"Lucas," Brooke whispered to Lucas's sleeping form. "Lucas," Brooke repeated as she shook Lucas's arm. With a groan Lucas rolled over.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Four thirty in the morning."

"And back to sleep," Lucas grumbled and pulled the sheets over his head.

"Lucas get up!" Brooke continued to shake him.

"Brooke I love having you here and let me tell you your constant cravings are a real kick in the pants, but your pickle dipped in chocolate yearning can wait until the sun comes up. Now go back to sleep."

"Lucas my water broke," an annoyed Brooke explained. Lucas sat straight up and swung his legs over the side of his bed.

"I'll get my shoes." There was not a hint of sleepiness in his voice.

Two young couples stood in the waiting room. Three young girls lay sleeping on chairs, their fathers sitting near them. The young women paced across the room, each carrying a baby. Inside a room nearby shouting could be heard.

"Ok this is a really big pain and I would like it to go away," Brooke yelled as the nurses bustled around.

"Squeeze my hand," Lucas smiled as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead. Immediately, Lucas felt the pain Brooke was feeling as she crushed his fingers in her vice like grip.

"Ok Brooke you're fully dilated so we're going to need you to push now," the doctor informed Brooke.

"No. I changed my mind. I'm not ready to be a mother. I can't do it." Tears began to fall from Brooke's eyes.

"Hey hey Pretty Girl, look at me." Lucas tilted Brooke's chin so that she was looking into his deep blue eyes. Despite the pain Brooke's heart gave a jolt at the sound of his old nickname for her. "You can do this. You're ready. You're going to be a great mom. And you'll have lots of help. Me and Haley and Peyton."

"If I ever talk to those two again," Brooke grumbled. "They didn't mention anything about how big the pain was." Lucas laughed, that was the old Brooke. Putting his other hand over hers, Lucas leaned towards her so that she could feel his breath in her ear.

"You can do it Pretty Girl." With a smile on her face and her heart pounding uncontrollably, Brooke did it.

"Congratulations it's a boy," the doctor smiled as he held up the baby. Her son. "Would dad like to cut the cord?" he offered Lucas.

"I'm not," Lucas began to protest. "Yeah I would, if you don't mind." He turned to Brooke. Sniffling a bit, Brooke nodded. Lucas cut the cord and then the baby was handed to him. "Welcome to the world little one," Lucas smiled down at the baby. "Now how about you see you're beautiful mother?" Brooke reached out and the baby was placed in her arms.

"Hey precious. Hello Miles Bryant Davis." Brooke stroked her son's arm as he reached out and grabbed her finger.

"Davis?" Lucas asked.

"Huh?"

"His last name. He's going to be a Davis not take David's last name?" Lucas's heart jumped with hope.

Suddenly embarrassed and feeling put on the spot, Brooke stared down at her son. "Well I kept my last name and I carried him inside me so I think that he should have mine too." Lucas smiled. For an unknown reason this small thing made him very excited.

"Yeah it's the right thing." Lucas smiled again. Green eyes met blue as Brooke looked up at Lucas.

"Do you want to hold him?" she offered. Beaming like an idiot, Lucas nodded. Carefully Miles was placed into Lucas's arms. Immediately Miles gave a yawn and settled down. "I think he likes you," Brooke grinned. Again Brooke and Lucas made eye contact.

"Brooke I need to ask you something. Do you think…" But Lucas didn't get to finish his sentence.

"What's up slut?" Brooke turned as Rachel waltzed into the room.

"Rachel! What are you doing here?" Rachel walked over and hugged Brooke.

"Did you think I'd miss the opportunity to be the first to meet baby slut? Though apparently I'm not the first," Rachel mumbled as she looked at Lucas bouncing the baby up and down. "Hey Luke." Lucas glanced up at Rachel quickly and then looked back at Miles. "Wow less than a day old and the little slut already has a boy hooked. Apparently nine months in the queen of all whores prepared her well."

"It's a boy and stop calling him a slut." With a nod and a smile Rachel got a serious face.

"We need to talk."

"Um ok," Brooke agreed, confused. She waited for Rachel to start, but she remained silent and stared at Lucas. Feeling eyes on him, Lucas looked up.

"Ok, I'll get going. I'll be back later." Lucas waved to Brooke and then began to walk out of the door.

"Hey Luke," Brooke called.

"Yeah." Lucas turned.

"I'm going to want my son back."

"Oh yeah, sorry." Lucas and Brooke both smiled as Miles was placed into his mother's arms. Lucas kissed Brooke on the forehead. "He's beautiful," he whispered and then made his exit. Brooke watched him go.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Brooke asked. Rachel pulled up a chair beside her friend's bed.

"Ok you know I'm not one to beat around the bush so I'm just going to ask you. Your son is he really David's?"

"What do you mean?" Brooke looked up.

"I mean that you come back from Tree Hill in a panic and tell me that you slept with Lucas, the love of your life."

"I don't think I called him the love of my life."

"That's because you're lying to yourself. But that's not the point. The point is who is this little bugger's daddy?" Rachel patted the baby's blankets.

"David, my husband," Brooke spoke sternly.

"Ok. I won't say I believe you, but I won't question it anymore. So can I hold him?" Brooke smiled down at her baby before handing him to the redhead.

"Don't drop him."

"Believe it or not I actually know how to hold a baby." Rachel supported the baby's head. Thoughts racing through her head, Brooke looked at Rachel holding her son who was smiling up at Rachel. His brilliant blue eyes locked on her face.


	20. Chapter 19

The wheelchair squeaked as Lucas wheeled Brooke out the front door of the hospital. Brooke's eyes were trained on her son's face. "You're my sweetheart aren't you? Yes you are mommy's sweetheart," she crooned.

"He's going to be such a momma's boy," Lucas laughed.

"I'm ok with that. Yes I am." Brooke tickled Miles' feet.

"Well he's certainly not going to be a daddy's boy," Lucas mumbled. Mid- tickle Brooke stopped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sighing heavily, Lucas stopped pushing the chair.

"It means that I haven't seen David here."

"He was going to come out a couple of days ago but then he got this big case thrown on his desk. And one thing led to another so he won't be out here for another couple of days depending on how long the trial takes." Lucas helped Brooke into his car.

"It just seems to me like maybe he'd take a break out of his hectic schedule to see his own son." Without a word, Brooke nodded.

"He'll be here when he can. And in the meantime, I've got people like you to take care of me."

"I'm happy to help and you know that you can stay with me as long as you want or need to. You know that right?" With a gurgling in her stomach, Brooke smiled up at Lucas. Her Lucas, who would always be there for her no matter what.

"I know that. And I really appreciate it. Everything you've done for me." Lucas smiled and planted a kiss on Brooke's forehead.

"Now you know you're going to have to let him go right. He can't sit in your lap all the way home." Reluctantly, Brooke handed Miles over for Lucas to strap securely into the car seat he had placed in his car earlier.

Brooke shifted the bag to her other shoulder and then unbuckled the car seat. As she tugged on her buckle the bag slid from her shoulder. She sighed and picked it up before attempting to pull the car seat out again. Lucas put his hand gently on Brooke's back and reached around her to help with the seat. Brooke could feel his heart beat and the warmth of him on her back. The two of them finally managed to unbuckle the seat, no small feat due to Brooke's sweaty palms.

"Tell you what, I'll get the bag and you get the baby," Lucas smiled as he slid the bag off of her shoulder.

"I appreciate you letting me stay here. Really Luke. I know you thought that you'd be rid of me once this little guy came along, but…" Lucas cut her off.

"I told you, you can stay as long as you want to. You're no burden to me. Besides it's nice to not have that big house all empty." Lucas opened the door to let Brooke in ahead of him.

"Surprise!" Shouts called from within. Confetti was thrown in Brooke's face as she stared from the streamers to the banner that read 'Welcome Home Brooke and Miles'. Brooke smiled. It felt good to be home. Arms opened wide, Haley and Peyton rushed to Brooke, Rachel trailing behind them.

"What's all of this?" a surprised Brooke asked.

"We didn't throw you a baby shower while the baby was still inside of you so we decided that we would do it now," Peyton explained.

"Aww thanks you three." After she set the baby on the ground, Brooke hugged Peyton and Haley and then Rachel.

"So where's the baby?" Haley squealed as she clapped her hands.

"Right here." Brooke picked Miles out of the car seat and handed him to Haley whose face broke out into a grin.

"Oh he's going to be a heart breaker. With that cute little nose and those bright blue eyes. I'll bet he got those from his father."

"David has brown eyes," Brooke corrected.

"Oh well sometimes these things can be a fluke," Haley said still staring at the baby. Then she bounced him off to go show him to the other guests of the party.

"I'll make sure she doesn't leave the premises with him," Peyton whispered as she followed Haley and the baby.

"You lost him already?" Lucas asked moving to Brooke's side.

"Haley's got him but it's all right this gives me hands free to get cake and open presents." With a grin Brooke walked over to the refreshments table.

Mounds of wrapping paper lay discarded in the corner. Various baby related items were piled up next to them. "Baby concert jerseys, no need to read the tag on this one. Thanks P. Sawyer Jegalski." Brooke held up the shirt for everyone to admire. Sitting next to her, his arm draped across the back of the couch, Lucas laughed. Suddenly the doorbell rang. "Who's ringing the doorbell? It's a party get your butt in here!" Brooke yelled. The door opened with a creak to reveal a bit disheveled looking man.

"Hey I hope I'm in the right place, I'm here to find my wife and son." Lucas's arm immediately fell from behind Brooke and Brooke stood straight up. Haley bounced Miles up and down a bit faster.

"David," Brooke whispered. At that moment, most likely sensing tension in the air, Miles let out a wail.

"Ah that must be my son." Closing the door gently, David walked over to Haley who reluctantly placed Miles in his arms. Miles didn't stop wailing.

"His name is Miles." The party became eerily quiet.

"Well carry on," David said. With permission the conversations resumed and people seemed to go back to the festivities. All except for the young couple and their baby, Lucas, and Brooke's three best girl friends.

"David you shouldn't have come here," Rachel spat.

"Look my wife may believe in your career as a professional hooker or whatever it is you do. And she may put up with you and think you're a nice person, but you have been nothing but rude to me since I met you!" David spat back.

"Hey. I'm a model because see I unlike you am attractive enough to be seen by people. I don't have to hide behind a desk!" Miles began to fuss. Brooke made a move to take him, but Lucas reached him first. Gently, he took the boy in his arms and rocked him back and forth. At once Miles quieted. "That's why you shouldn't have come back," Rachel said coolly.

"Look I didn't come back here to get attacked I came back here to pick up my wife and son and take them home."

"In case you haven't noticed her home is here," Peyton joined the fray. "Her friends and all the people who care about her are here."

"Who are you?"

"Her best friend." Hand on her hip, Peyton tightened her jaw.

"Everyone is not here. I am in LA. Her job is in LA. Her mother and father are in LA."

"Oh yeah those nice parents who were there for through everything in high school," Haley scoffed.

"Look this conversation does not concern you, whoever you are. This concerns me and my wife." Simultaneously, Brooke's three best friends crossed their arms.

A small voice broke the tension. "I want to stay." David turned to Brooke.

"What?"

"David I love LA and our life there, but when I came back here I realized that this is where I belong. My friends are here. My godchildren are here. And I think that this would be a much better place to raise my son."

"Our son."

"O…our son," Brooke stammered a bit. "This is where I want to be and I'd love you to come here too."

"What about your job?"

"I own the company, I can move it wherever the hell I want to."

"And where are we going to live?" This was a harder question.

"You can move in here." This came from Lucas who was still holding Miles. "We've already made a room up for Miles and Brooke has her own room that you can move into with her." Brooke looked to Lucas. He truly would do anything for her. She knew how this would pain him. Haley, Peyton, and Rachel all turned, shocked at Lucas's suggestion.

"I'll call my office," David resigned.

"Thank you." Brooke moved forward and kissed him. Four pairs of eyes were averted.

"I brought something for you," David grumbled. Then he moved out the front door.

"Thank you too," Brooke whispered and she pecked Lucas on the cheek.

"I did it for a selfish reason. This means I get to keep the two of you around a little bit longer." Their eyes locked and Brooke almost said something when she felt a body collide with her legs.

"David!" Brooke bent down and kissed her dog on his nose. "I missed you buddy." David drooled as he ran around the party.

"Well I just came to get you, but since that's not happening I've got to get going," David said rather reluctantly.

"Call me when you get there." Brooke kissed her husband again. "And thank you for bringing David here." David nodded, kissed Brooke again and then walked over to Lucas. He shook Lucas's hand and then patted Miles. With that he was gone.

"Well this is going to very Bob, Carol, Ted and Alice. Minus Carol," Rachel mumbled. Haley and Peyton gave her dirty looks.

Lucas bounced his knee a bit faster. Ten month old Miles squealed in delight. A glance at the clock told Lucas that it was well past four in the morning. "I don't know what your mother's going to do when she moves out of here," Lucas told the child. "I mean I'm an author and do my best writing in the middle of the night so while you're here things work out fine when you want to stay up all night. But when you and your mom and…David move out of here I don't know who's going to stay up with you." Miles gave an odd sound. "You know buddy you're feeling a little warm." Quickly Lucas pressed Ctrl S and picked Miles up, carrying him to the crib.

"He's not eating anything," Brooke pointed out to Lucas the next morning.

"Maybe he's not hungry." Lucas stifled a yawn.

"He didn't eat anything last night either." Brooke began to panic.

"He felt a little warm to me." Immediately, Brooke's hand went to her son's forehead.

"He's burning up."

"I'll get the car."

In the emergency room minutes later, Lucas paced back and forth. "What the hell do they think they're doing? We've got a sick baby out here."

"Sit down Lucas, I'm sure they'll call us soon." Brooke was seated with Miles in her lap. "Damnit! I still can't get David on the phone!" Brooke slammed her phone down. Ceasing the pacing, Lucas sat down next to her and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"It's going to be ok. Everything will be fine." Brooke looked up at Lucas, the man who was there for her with her sick baby.

"You sure?"

"Momma," Miles cooed. Brooke smiled down at her son and then at Lucas.

"Yeah," Lucas laughed. "I'm sure everything's going to be all right."

"Is there a Miles Davis here?" a nurse came in.

"Here." Brooke stood up. "Damn I need to call David." She began to panic.

"Hey you go on, I'll call David." Lucas pulled out his cell phone as Brooke took her son.

"Thank you." She planted a kiss on his cheek and then followed the nurse.

"Miles Davis? Very cool name," the nurse joked.

"Damn David," Lucas mumbled to himself as he punched numbers into his phone.

Brooke rocked her son back and forth. Two months had passed since the fever and she never figured out what it was. It still scared her every time Miles let out a little cough. She looked out the nearest window. David wasn't home. He was in LA, his trips back and forth becoming rarer and rarer. He was spending more time in LA. He had missed so many things with his son. Luckily Lucas was there for it all. This thought made Brooke smile. She remembered when she came home to find Lucas trying to change Miles. As Lucas turned to greet Brooke, Miles had let out a stream of urine proceeding to pee all over Lucas. But despite the peeing, Miles loved Lucas. That much was clear. He smiled every time Lucas held him and giggled when Lucas tickled his feet. In her arms, Miles squirmed. Brooke set him down on the ground.

"Honey I'm home," Lucas joked as he walked into the room.

"You done at the publishers all ready?"

"Yeah I'm done." Lucas set his bags on the ground. Immediately Miles moved towards him. As he reached the nearby table, he grabbed it and pulled himself up. On shaky legs, he toddled towards Lucas.

"Oh my gosh!" Brooke stood up. "He's…" but before she could get the word walking out Miles fell down.

"Hey buddy." Lucas picked Miles up. "I didn't know that you could walk."

"His first steps," Brooke smiled. "I wish I'd gotten it on tape so that David could see." Lucas's smile faltered. He still didn't like it when David was mentioned.

"He should have been here."

"It's his job."

"You had a job in LA and you moved it."

"That's different, I own my company he just works at his firm." Silence engulfed the room as Mile reached up and pinched Lucas's nose. Lucas laughed.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It's ok." Brooke had gotten used to the awkwardness and the passive aggressiveness Lucas gave towards David. "He's getting so big." She touched her son's head.

"Yeah he is," Lucas agreed as he looked into Miles' deep blue eyes.


	21. Chapter 20

Keys clacked as Lucas typed furiously with one hand, his other wrapped securely around Miles' waist. "When are you going to start sleeping at normal hours?" Lucas asked of the baby. "I mean I love these quality hours we spend together, but you sleep most of the day which is the only time you get to spend with your mother. I think she wants to spend more time with you awake. I know I wish I could spend more time with her. So I'll make you a deal. How about the two of us start sleeping when she sleeps so that we can be awake and spend time with her?"

"Hey," a raspy voice called. Lucas jumped and spun around in his chair. A tousled Brooke stood in the doorway.

"Sorry did I wake you?"

"Nope I couldn't sleep so I came down to check on my boys." Lucas smiled, she had called him her boy. Brooke walked over and took Miles in her arms. "Hey baby." She shifted him to one hip and leaned over to read what Lucas was typing on the computer. "New book?"

"Yeah," he confirmed and then quickly closed the document.

"What I can't read it?" A grin broke across Brooke's face. "Is it dirty? Has sweet little Lucas finally started writing about more adult topics?"

"It's not dirty, it's just not finished." Nodding, Brooke sank into a nearby chair.

"So what's it about?" She leaned her head back so that it rested on the back of the chair.

"It's about a guy," Lucas spoke, avoiding true explanation.

"Isn't it always?" Brooke's eyes fluttered closed a bit.

"It's about a guy in love with a girl. She has a kid with another guy and gradually the main character falls in love with the kid." Brooke's eyes had remained closed.

"So do they end up together?" Lucas knew that if she was fully awake she would be a little more uncomfortable about the plot.

"I don't know," Lucas spoke. "I don't know." Deep breathing told Lucas that Brooke had fallen asleep. Shaking his head, he stood up and took Miles from Brooke's arms. He gently tucked a blanket over Brooke's sleeping form. "Mommy's sleeping huh?" Lucas baby talked. That was another thing, Lucas never baby talked to any of Haley's kids or Peyton's baby but as soon as Brooke has a kid, all of Lucas's self respect goes out the window. "I'm going to miss you buddy. When your…when David finally gives up on LA and moves here. I don't know how he's stayed away so long." Lucas looked at Brooke. "This big old house will be too empty."

"Lucas," Brooke grumbled sleepily.

"Yeah Brooke."

"They should end up together." Lucas smiled.

"Yeah they should." Her opinion put in, Brooke snuggled down under the blanket and went back to sleep.

Brooke shifted uncomfortably, the sun shone through her eye lids. She opened her eyes and looked around. Her pains were explained, she had slept in the chair. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Brooke walked into the kitchen where Lucas was feeding Miles. "Cute picture," Brooke commented. Turning, Lucas laughed.

"Yeah well a night awake always makes the two of us hungry so I thought I'd feed him." Brooke sat down in the chair, pulling her legs into her chest.

"Mama," Miles cooed as he reached a chubby fist towards Brooke. Brooke smiled.

"Hey baby."

"Dada," Miles continued. Brooke and Lucas both stared at the baby who was reaching a hand towards Lucas. "Dada," Miles repeated.

"Wow," Lucas said. Brooke stood up and moved to behind Lucas.

"I mean I guess you've spent all this time with him that he just assumed."

"Can babies assume?" Brooke shrugged her shoulders.

"Well I need to get to work, so I'm going to go hop in the shower." Brooke kissed her son's head. "I never get to spend time with him," she commented.

Freshly showered Brooke walked down the stairs, shoving more things into her bag and double checking her briefcase to make sure that she had all her designs. In the living room Lucas was sitting in the armchair, a sleeping Miles in his arms. "I should really start carrying a camera around," Brooke joked.

"Miles and I've got it around here. We'll hold down the fort and have dinner ready for you when you get home."

"The two of you are so good to me." Brooke kissed Miles' forehead and then hesitantly pecked Lucas's forehead.

"Lucy I'm home!" Brooke called as she entered the house. "And boy am I tired. A whole new line that I'm trying to get out by next Friday. And I missed my little boy." Brooke entered the kitchen to see Lucas pulling things out of the oven. "Did you lose the baby?" She asked as she looked around the room.

"He's sleeping in the living room." After she grabbed a carrot stick, Brooke walked into the living room. She picked up her sleeping son and then sat down on the couch with him in her arms. "Ok Brooke everything's on the table, so what do you want to dri…" Lucas stopped as he entered the living room to see Brooke and Miles sleeping on the couch. "Wow she wasn't joking about that long day." Lucas smiled and placed a blanket over Brooke, making sure that Miles' head was exposed. Then after a quick yawn, Lucas sat down beside Brooke. Sensing the movement, Brooke moved a bit. After a bit of adjustment her head rested on Lucas's shoulder. With a smile, Lucas settled down to sleep.

"What the hell is this?!" a voice roared. The dog barked near Lucas's feet. Lucas opened his eyes and checked the clock, he had been asleep for an hour. Brooke stirred next to him. The two looked up to see David standing in the doorway. "I come home to find my wife sleeping with some other man?"

"David calm down. That's all we were doing, sleeping." Trying not to wake her son, Brooke stood up. "It was a long day and we were both tired." With a crash, David threw his things down.

"No." Shaking his head, David brandished a finger. "I've tried to ignore it but the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. There's something going on, I know there is."

"There is nothing going on." Brooke walked towards her husband.

"I promise," Lucas confirmed. But David continued to shake his head.

"Don't lie to me!" David made a move towards Brooke but Lucas intervened. He pulled a stern face as he stood between the two. "I wasn't going to hit her," David explained, frustrated.

"I wasn't going to chance it," Lucas said without emotion.

"She's the mother of my son," David continued as an explanation.

"Unbelievable," Brooke mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"What's that?" David asked. Lucas turned to Brooke.

"Your son huh?" Brooke shifted Miles onto her shoulder. "Where were you when he got that huge fever that they never figured out what it was? Where were you for his first word or his first step?"

"I have a job Brooke. In LA! You know that."

"Oh I do know that, but I have a job too and so does Lucas, but we're both here for Miles. In fact Lucas is here for your son more than you are! Did you know that he called Lucas dada this morning?"

Confused, David began to plead. "Brooke I thought that this was what you wanted? I thought you wanted to move here and have me continue to work?"

Tears blurring her vision, Brooke looked away from her husband and then back towards David. "No. I wanted you to move here permanently. I wanted you to give it all up permanently for me and your son. I wanted you to say that you couldn't be away from me or Miles for long periods of time."

"Well how was I supposed to know that?" David rubbed his forehead.

"If you truly loved me you would have," Brooke said quietly.

And then it broke, something inside David cracked. "Fine Brooke! Fine! I don't love you is that what you wanted to hear? Lucas is a better father to Miles than I am, is that what you wanted to hear?" Brooke shook her head.

"That's not what I wanted to…"

"Well you know what fine! You seem to be happy here so you stay here with Lucas." David picked up his bags. "He can be a better husband to you and a better father to Miles than I ever was! So Lucas she's all yours, he's all yours! You be happy with them because I'm out!" With a slam of the door, David made his exit.

Rachel sighed as she rinsed out her coffee cup. "Are those the papers?" she asked of Brooke. A straight faced Brooke nodded. "Good. Because you know I love you…  
Brooke smiled, she knew that. Her red haired friend had dropped everything and moved into the house with Brooke as soon as she heard of the argument with David, forcing Lucas onto the couch."…and I'm happy to be here as long as you need me, but I'm not really ready to move back here."

"And I'm not ready to make the living room my permanent bedroom either," Lucas joked.

"So as soon as it's final and I make sure you're all right I've got to go." Brooke nodded. "Good I'm glad we had this talk." Without another word, Rachel left the room. With a sigh, Brooke signed yet another paper. "Well it's official," she grumbled. "I'm a divorcee and a single mother." She sealed the envelope and put her head down on the table. Lucas stroked her hair.

"You know I've been thinking about that."

"About my divorce?" Brooke looked up, confused.

"No about your single motherhood." Lucas sipped his coffee as the two looked towards the high chair where Miles was happily sucking his thumb. "Miles needs a father." Brooke looked up as her eyes locked with his.

"What are you saying?"

"I want to adopt him. I love this boy." Lucas put his hand on Miles' head. "And I want to be there for him. I…" Brooke had stood up and left the room. "You know you could have just said no." Brooke reentered the room and placed a box on the table, the same one that used to be in her bedroom. "What's that?"

"It's the box where I keep the things that are important to me, pictures from high school, ultrasounds, other things. And this." She pulled a piece of paper from the box. "It's Miles' birth certificate." With misty eyes, Brooke looked down at the paper.

"You know you should really keep that in a fireproof box or something." Brooke handed him the paper. "It's his birth certificate," a confused Lucas stated.

"Read it. Look at his parents." Brooke put her hand on Miles' table and he grabbed her finger as Lucas read.

"He…I mean the father…you mean that he's mine?" Avoiding eye contact, Brooke nodded. "Well why didn't you tell me?" Finally Brooke looked up.

"I don't think I really wanted to admit it to myself. I was married and I didn't want to admit that I had a baby with the man who I really wanted to be with." This statement made Lucas smile.

"The man you really wanted to be with?" Lucas grinned.

"Don't let it go to your head." Lucas stood up and kissed Miles' head and then took Brooke's hand. He pulled her to his feet and then kissed her. Brooke felt the sparks, the sparks that she never felt with David, the sparks that always belonged with Lucas. Brooke pulled back, breathing heavily. Their foreheads pressed into each other.

"Marry me," Lucas said in a whisper.

"You had to ruin the moment." Brooke pulled back. "I just got out of a marriage, I don't want to rush into another one." Lucas grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

"We have a beautiful son together and besides did you pine for David forever?"

"I didn't pine for you forever," Brooke groaned. His eyes still on Brooke's, Lucas reached into the box and pulled out a small ring box. He held it up to Brooke, a pointed look on his face. "What's in this box?"

"That? Oh that's…well that's the ring that you gave me and promised me that you would make…an engagement ring."

"So are you ready?" Lucas locked eyes with her.

"Say yes," Rachel spoke from the doorway. Lucas and Brooke turned. "Finally get your happy ending," Rachel explained. Brooke turned back to Lucas.

"Yes. Yes I'll marry you." Lucas took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger.

"Until I can get a real one," he explained. He pulled Brooke to him and kissed her long and hard.

"All you Tree Hill girls getting married before your twenty seventh birthday," Rachel pointed out. "I guess this makes me the least slutty of the group. Who'dve thunk it?" Brooke grinned and then kissed Lucas again. After breaking apart Lucas walked over and picked up his son.

"You hear that your dad and mom are getting married." He held Miles up in the air and he squealed in delight. Brooke smiled. This really was her fairy tale ending, the man who always had her heart and the boy who would always have both of theirs. Tomorrow she would have to go back to reality, work and now wedding plans, but for now she was content to just be here with her two boys. Smiling, she ran over and joined the play. And the three lived happily ever after.


End file.
